The Everyday Life of a Dragonborn
by The Fezatron
Summary: The Dragonborn never gets a break. It's just part of the job. After saving Tamriel many times, Titus still has more to do. Follow him in his adventures after the events of Skyrim and its DLCs. Current Story: An Adventure to Falskaar.
1. Family Reunion Chapter 1

Titus gazed up into the Cyrodiilic night sky. It certainly was a sight to behold. It wasn't as beautiful as the auroras that sometimes illuminated the night in Skyrim, but it was still awe inspiring. This was the sky of his homeland. He'd not set eyes on it for a couple of years now.

Titus was originally from Kvatch. His family had lived there for a while. He hadn't seen them for seven years. What could have changed? Were Flavia and Marcius, his mother and father in good health? Were Diomedes and Lucia, his brother and sister, happily married? Did they have children?

"What's on your mind Titus?"

Titus looked to his side to find Serana, who had turned to face him, lying on her bedroll. Her glowing, vampiric eyes stood out in the darkness of the night. Titus's deep blue eyes focused on her.

Titus ran his fingers through his short, neatly cut brown hair, "Just thinking about family."

"Oh," replied Serana, "what about them?"

"Will they have changed? What will they think of me?"

"They'll be proud of you Titus. What else could they think? You've saved the world three times; you're a Legate in the Empire, you're the Harbinger of the Companions and the Arch-mage of the College of Winterhold. You're also the Thane of all the holds in Skyrim.

Titus sighed, "We'll see I guess."

"Get some sleep now Titus, you'll need it."

Serana closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Titus had trouble doing this though. Sometimes his beast blood would keep him awake. He'd try to shut his eyes but they would always open again ten minutes later.

He turned his attention to his Dragonplate armour that was piled up on his other side. He took his sword, Paal Qo Feyn, by the hilt, and ran his finger along the dragonbone blade. The lightning enchantment made the end of his finger tingle. He placed the sword down gently by his armour.

Titus's mind drifted to another topic. Quintus. Quintus was Titus's oldest friend back from the days of his childhood. They had not seen each other since Titus left Kvatch. It would be great to see him again.

With that last thought fresh in his mind, Titus finally managed to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Ugh." Titus's eyes slowly parted. The morning sun filled his eyes with light. It crept over the hills, casting shadows of trees in the forest.

Rubbing his eyes, he stood up, flexing and stretching his muscles as he did. Titus always loved a bright and cheerful morning. The medley of colours and fresh smells helped to set a positive mood for the day.

Titus walked over to the carriage to collect some food for breakfast. Both he and Serana needed as much energy as possible. He'd be dragging her around Kvatch like a kid in a toyshop.

Titus turned his attention to Serana, who was curled up in her bedroll. Gods she could sleep. She always said it was her 'beauty sleep'. Titus certainly didn't disagree with that. On their adventures together, she had a number of admirers. Titus was one of them.

Serana started to fidget in her bedroll. She opened her weary eyes.

"Morning." said Titus.

"Morning," Serana's reply came out as more of a tired splutter than a proper word. "You making breakfast?"

"Obviously." The one thing Titus made sure he never missed every normal day was breakfast. Breakfast prepared the body and mind for the day ahead.

* * *

Titus and Serana travelled for a couple more hours before reaching Kvatch. The sight of his old hometown brought back memories for Titus. The white banners bearing the wolf's head blew in the steady breeze. There were guards, all dressed in their white and silver uniforms, patrolling the entrance. The dull grey walls stood firm and strong on the skyline.

Titus brought the carriage in and parked it by the stables. For the whole journey, Serana sat in the back of the carriage, which was protected by a canopy, so she wasn't exposed to the sun's rays.

They walked up together to the main entrance to the city. Two armed guards protected it. One of them approached them.

"State your business in the city." demanded the guard.

Titus promptly replied, "I'm here to visit family."

The guard paused for a few seconds, closely examining Titus's facial features that were partially concealed by his helmet.

"Titus," the guard exclaimed, removing his helmet, "good to see you!"

Titus gasped in shock, "Albus!" Titus and Albus gave each other a manly hug of reunion.

Albus was another of Titus's childhood friends. He had nearly shoulder length, jet black hair that was combed back, dark hazel eyes and a narrow face.

"Go right in Titus," happily said Albus, looking over his shoulder at Serana. "Who's your friend?"

"That's Serana." replied Titus.

Serana gave Albus a friendly smile which he returned.

Titus and Serana made their way through the main gates and into the city. It was exactly as Titus had remembered it. The streets were full of people going about their lives. The smell of freshly baked bread flooded his nostrils. The voices of the people made the place come to life. Titus felt a pleasant sense of nostalgia enter his mind.

It was good to be home.

* * *

Personal Comments:

Ah, the second story (not anymore, I deleted it so I could focus on this one). I'll be trying to juggle this and my other story at the same time. Should be fun. Anyway, this story will be a group of stories grouped together to form one big story. They will go in chronological order unless I decide to do a flashback story or something like that. Just like The Knights of Baal, I'll be doing a character list to reboot your memories of any new characters. As always criticise away. My motto for writing now is: "Never neglect an opportunity for improvement." That quote came from Sir William Jones. I'll also do a dragon language glossary at the end because I know that most people aren't fluent in the dragon tongue. Might actually try to learn it now. Can't possibly be that hard. See you soon.

Characters:

Titus: The almighty Dragonborn. 25 years of age. A morally good person. Will help anyone in need. Kills bad guys for a living.

Serana: The vampire you find in a dungeon in Dawnguard. One of the most fleshed out characters in Skyrim. Some people obsess over her too much. Like signing a petition to make her marriable in game. Sigh.

Flavia: Titus's mother. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.

Marcius: Titus's father. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.

Diomedes: Titus's older brother. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.

Lucia: Titus's younger sister. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.

Quintus: Titus's best childhood friend. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.

Albus: Titus's friend. One of the Kvatch city guards.

Dragon Language Glossary:

Paal Qo Feyn: Enemy Lightning Bane.


	2. Family Reunion Chapter 2

Titus and Serana glided through the bustling city streets of Kvatch. He seemed to remember every little detail, from the colours, where everything was and even the people. The passing of time had not affected the place one bit. Turning the corner, he found his old home. His father was outside, hammering away at a piece of steel. Marcius was the city blacksmith. Titus had learned most of his knowledge from his father's expertise.

They approached the smithy and stood, waiting for Marcius to acknowledge them.

"Hello. What business do you ha-," Marcius looked up, "Titus!"

Titus leaned on the woodwork of the house, "Yep, I'm back father."

Marcius hastily dropped his work to go over and give Titus a hug. Titus's armour made it awkward, but it didn't matter, they'd not seen each other in seven years.

"How are you son?"

"I'm good thanks," replied Titus. "I've got a lot to tell you."

"I can imagine. So," asked Marcius, "what's this rumour about you being Dragonborn? It's spread all over the Empire."

"Has it now," Titus wasn't surprised. "We Imperials do love a good rumour."

"Who's this?" Marcius's attention turned over to Serana who stood a few paces to the side of Titus.

"That's Serana. She's a friend."

Serana offered Marcius a handshake, "Pleased to meet you."

Marcius returned the gesture, "Come on in you two. Flavia is cooking dinner."

Before going in, Titus asked one more question, "Where's Quintus?"

Marcius face drooped. Titus picked up from his father's facial expression that the news would be disappointing, "I don't know son. He left a couple of weeks after you did. He could be anywhere in Cyrodiil, even Tamriel."

Titus's face now mirrored the expression that had been on his father's face a few moments ago. He had been looking forward to catching up with him. Learning Quintus was no longer here wasn't good news for him.

Marcius opened the door to the house so that Titus and Serana could enter. The main room hadn't changed a bit. The wood supports were in top condition. The stone walls were even cleaner than when he had left to the point where they almost sparkled. The lengthy dinner table was set out in the centre of the room. Finally in the corner was the stove, which Flavia was leaning over, brewing something that Titus could guarantee was delicious.

"Flavia, look who's here," stated Marcius, with an excited tone in his voice.

"Let me guess, one of your friends from across the street," answered Flavia, turning around as she did, "TITUS!"

Flavia rushed over to her son and nearly crushed him in her fit of joy. She also decided to give him a long kiss.

"What's all the commotion," Lucia had come downstairs to find Titus, bent over with his hands on his knees, spluttering from his mother's show of affection, "Titus, your back!"

Titus raised his hand to stop his sister, "Please Lucia, spare me from another smothering."

Lucia slowed her approach and gave her brother a gentle hug. Titus regained his posture, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Mother, Lucia, this is Serana," said Titus, pointing at Serana. Serana gave them both a friendly smile, trying her best to hide her fangs. They both happily returned.

"Dinner will be ready soon. We've converted your old room into a guestroom Titus, you two can have that room," explained Flavia.

Titus and Serana headed upstairs and into their room. Taking his helmet and placing it on the bedside table, Titus flopped onto the bed. The fur covers welcomed him with warmth and comfort.

"You're a ungraceful big oaf aren't you?" joked Serana rhetorically.

Titus let out a chuckle. Serana would often come out with something that made him laugh.

"I'm not a graceful person Serana, I never have been."

Serana decided to change the subject of the conversation, "You have a very caring family."

"You should've seen it back when I was still a child. They were goddamn overprotective! If I ever wanted to go play with Diomedes and Lucia, they always had to know where we were every second."

"Well if you were like you are now back when you were still young, you'd come back with a bruises, scars and who knows how many injuries."

"I guess," was Titus's reply.

Serana looked down, her tone softening, "At least you have a proper family."

Serana would sometimes start thinking about her family from time to time. She would think of how Harkon only wanted to use her to act out some ancient prophecy. How Valerica, her own mother, had locked her away in some strange dungeon for centuries. She would think of how her family plummeted into disarray and turmoil.

Titus went over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Come on, we've got dinner to get to."

After Titus had changed out of his armour into something more suitable, they headed back downstairs to join the others. The sound of a booming voice reminded Titus of the family member he'd not seen yet. Diomedes must have come to join them. However, he also heard the voices of children. Did Diomedes have kids?

Diomedes was sat at the table with the rest of the family. He was in a modified variant of the Kvatch city guard uniform. To his left was a woman that Titus recognised. He just couldn't remember her name. To Diomedes's right was a child, who was sat playing with a toy.

"Titus, you are back," Diomedes began. "So Albus wasn't lying."

Titus and Diomedes took each others hand, raised them up and gave each other a strong pat on the back.

"When did Albus tell you I was back?" asked Titus.

"When he reported back to me. I am the Captain of the city guard."

Titus nodded in appreciation, "Well done. I'm guessing you have plenty of stories to tell?"

"Tons of them. There was the time I took on a entire force of bandits all by myself and the time when I tracked down and stopped an assassination plot on the Count."

Titus hadn't forgotten his brother's arrogance. It was one of his most annoying features. Back during his childhood, he had nothing to counter it with. But now he did.

Titus retorted, "And I'll have to tell you about the time I killed a god, and the time a saved the world from total darkness, and even the time I stopped the first Dragonborn from enslaving all of Tamriel."

Diomedes reluctantly accepted defeat and changed the subject, "This is Aelia, my wife," Diomedes pointed towards the child, "and this is Ennius, my son. He's just turned three."

Titus gave Aelia a kiss on the cheek and gave Ennius a warm smile. He was an uncle. It was hard for him to fathom at first, but it eventually managed to sink in.

"Diomedes, this is Serana," said Titus.

Diomedes and Serana greeted each other, before going to their seats.

Titus had been deprived of his mother's wonderful cooking for seven years now. This day couldn't have come sooner for him.

* * *

Serana was deep in her cup of mead. Everyone had finished eating a while ago and now it was story time with Titus. Titus was currently describing his fight with Miraak in Apocrypha. Serana wasn't sure if Titus's family would be able to remember all his stories. Every adult at the table was drunk after Titus had finished telling his story of slaying Alduin. The whole night had been very fun overall. Ennius had probably been listening the most intensely. Titus's stories would have excited any young child.

Diomedes was trying to upstage Titus in any way he could. It was obvious his stories were being heavily exaggerated. Partially because of the alcohol, but not many stories could ever be compared to the stories Titus had.

It was starting to get late and everyone was starting to become weary. That and Titus didn't have anymore tales of dragon slaying and world saving left to tell. Everyone started to make there way to bed. Diomedes, Aelia and Ennius lived a street away. Everyone else clumsily made their way upstairs. It had been a fun night.

* * *

The sound of birds singing in the early morning filled Titus's ears. During his childhood this sound was his signal to get up. The sound brought back fond memories. After changing into something other than his Dragonplate armour to avoid falling over after drinking so much, he carefully crept downstairs and through the front door, trying not to wake anyone up.

Marcius was outside working at his grindstone. He turned his head, hearing the door creak open, "Morning son. How are you?"

"Apart from the hangover I'm fine. I've had worse and battled through it."

"What brings you out here," Marcius wiped the sweat off his bald head. "I thought you'd still be in bed?"

"I need to talk about something with you father. Something important."

"Go on then son. Fire away."

"You were always there for me during my childhood. You'd help me through tough situations that I couldn't escape by myself." Titus pulled a small box out of his back pocket and slowly opened it, revealing a gold ring encrusted with five flawless diamonds.

"You're not asking me to marry you are you son?" joked Marcius.

"No," replied Titus, turning the ring around so he could see it, "I'm going to ask Serana."

Marcius got up from his grindstone to come and inspect the ring, "By the eight that must have cost you a lot. You must care about her an awful lot."

"Ever since I saved her from that shadowy dungeon, I knew she was special. After travelling with her, I've developed feelings for her. I love her."

Marcius placed his hand on his son's shoulder, "You go for it son. Ask her. Whenever the time is right."

"Thanks father. Can you keep this a secret, I'd like it to be a surprise."

"Your secret's safe with me," said Marcius. "The Count is hosting a party in a couple of days. It's open to the whole city. You could bring her to that."

Titus nodded in agreement before heading inside the house to have breakfast. His mother's breakfasts, like all her cooking, was legendary.

* * *

"I'm here to see the lord. I have news on Titus," demanded the man.

The guard opened the heavy steel door, letting the man into the throne room. The room was buried deep underground. The only way to get to the surface was a maze of abandoned catacombs.

The man knelt before the lord, who was sitting on an engraved throne made of ebony.

"My lord, I have news of Titus's whereabouts. He is currently visiting Kvatch," stated the man.

"You have served me well," the lord stood up out of his throne. "I've waited for this day for years, and now it's finally here. It's party time."

The lord made his way out of this throne rooms and through the catacombs, heading for Kvatch.

* * *

Personal Comments:

The second chapters here. I really have a lot of time on my hands at the moment. If I don't update soon it's because I'll be in Belgium for a few days. Anyways, the story is developing. You didn't think this would be a happy family reunion did you? As always criticise away. Adios.

Characters:

Marcius: Titus's father and Kvatch city blacksmith. He's always there for his family and friends.

Flavia: Titus's mother and a legendary cook. An overprotective mother for the right reasons.

Diomedes: Titus's brother and captain of the Kvatch city guard. Arrogant but will help anyone in need.

Lucia: Titus's sister.

Harkon: Serana's father and main antagonist of Dawnguard.

Valerica: Serana's mother who locked her away for centuries.

Miraak: The main antagonist of Dragonborn and the first ever Dragonborn. They always say pride comes before a fall.

Alduin: The main antagonist of Skyrim and God of Destruction. If you can't remember this guy your memory must be really bad.

Count: Count of Kvatch. Will be fleshed out in later chapters

Lord: Will be fleshed out in later chapters.


	3. Family Reunion Chapter 3

"Ugh, not another shop." Serana was starting to get frustrated. She had started to regret coming with Lucia. Every shop they passed they had to enter.

Serana had chosen to go shopping with Lucia while Titus went around the city gawking at anything he remembered. Maybe that was the better option.

"Aww, that's so cute."

Serana snapped out of her thought to find Lucia obsessing over some statues of animals. She had to pick up anything she saw. The even more annoying thing was that Lucia never ended up buying the things she looked at.

"You buying that?" asked Serana.

"Um," Lucia was deep in thought, "no."

The usual response. It was really getting repetitive now. Serana was just about to scream as Titus walked through the door. She was saved. Finally.

"Having fun?" asked Titus quizzically.

"Tons of it. You should have joined us," responded Lucia, walking out the door.

"I would have been bored within ten minutes."

Serana passed by Titus and whispered, "Bloody hell I agree."

They headed back to the house with an empty shopping basket. Typical. Just typical.

* * *

"Ow," Titus moaned, "OW!"

"Sorry, these buttons are very awkward to do up," replied Serana.

It was a couple of hours before the party. The whole city had turned into a centre of activity. Many people had been looking forward to this day for weeks. The Count would often host events like this every so often. It was a good way to bring the community together and a way for the citizens of Kvatch to relax and let off steam.

"You got your dress on just fine." exclaimed Titus.

Serana huffed and said, "I've never really had to help a man put a outfit on before."

Titus rolled his eyes, "I can see that."

"There we go."

Titus felt the buttons with his hand, running it up and down. It was good enough.

Titus wondered what his family must have been thinking after hearing the shouting coming from their room. They must have been thinking some strange thoughts.

Titus offered Serana his hand, appearing to look rather gentlemanly, "Will you accompany me tonight?"

"Of course I will." Serana took Titus's hand with pleasure. They headed off together, along with the rest of Titus's family, to the centre of the city, where the party was taking place.

* * *

The party was going well. Everybody was enjoying themselves, mingling, eating and drinking. The night was clear and dry and there was no sign of any bad weather.

"Good one Diomedes," Lucia commented.

"Yeah, good joke love," added Aelia.

Diomedes' sense of humour had always been astonishingly good. Even as a child he'd crack jokes that would set the anyone of laughing like a maniac.

Titus had noticed that the Count was nowhere to be seen. It was strange. He knew the Count was old, but he was the host of the party.

"Diomedes," enquired Titus, "where's the Count?"

"He'll be coming out later. He currently has quite a bad physical condition, which makes it hard for him to walk," replied Diomedes.

Satisfied with his answer, Titus carried on enjoying the night, oblivious to the stranger who stood on the rooftops, stalking the party and everyone attending it.

The stranger absently flipped a septim up and down, surveying the flock of people before him, "Poor people. You're oblivious to the danger your Count is in. All the better for me though. Makes the whole job easy."

With that last statement finished, the stranger ran silently across the rooftops and onto the balcony of the Count's keep. Opening up his right hand, he cast a spell which quietly opened the door. He made his way through the corridors of the keep, making his way to the Count's room. A guard stood firm by the door of the Count's room, standing rigidly in front of it. Walking by, the stranger flicked his hand, placing a spell on the door. He walked around the corner and checked for anybody who could see him. If anyone saw him now, this operation would be over.

The stranger raised his hand and clenched his fist. His body split between the realm of reality and the realm of spirits. He effortlessly passed through the wall and into the Count's room. The Count was sat half asleep in his padded chair, breathing heavily.

"Hello Count," the stranger said slyly.

The Count woke up and panicked at the sight of an unknown person in his room, "What. Who are you? Gua-"

"He can't here you old man," interrupted the stranger. "No sound can pass through the door and walls after I used a little spell."

"Answer my question then," demanded the Count. "Who are you?"

The strangers face was obscured by a hood that was placed over his head. The shadow it cast kept his face completely hidden.

"I believe you know who I am."

"No, I don't.

The stranger took his hood in both his hands and pulled it back, revealing his face to the Count.

"Yes Count, I do believe you know me."

The Count was in utter shock. He did know this man. He had known him since he was a child. He couldn't form a single word to reply with.

"Now," stated the stranger, "I didn't come here to say hello and have dinner. I came here for a purpose," he pulled out a black whip from inside his robes and let it unravel, showing five ends all tipped with a hooked barb each. "Your death will mark the dawn of a new age, a new age for Tamriel."

The stranger struck the whip at the Count, the barbed ends latching onto his skin. The Count's desperate screams for help were heard by nobody who could help him as his life force was drained form his body. The cadaver lay on the floor, the expression still clearly on his face.

The stranger left using the same spell he used to enter and walked through the corridors leading up the roof.

The guard entered to check in on the Count. All he found was his dead corpse. He ran and ran exclaiming, "Sound the alarms, the Count has been murdered!"

* * *

The bell rang through the night like the gut wrenching sound of an animal being slaughtered. The party had been transformed into a panicking crowd of people, all looking to find out what had happened.

Titus turned to Diomedes, "Diomedes, what's happening?"

"It's the alarm bell. Something bad has happened."

The main doors to the keep were flung open as a guard burst out of them.

Diomedes approached the guard, "What's happening, why has the bell been rung?"

"Captain," the guard answered, "the Count's been murdered."

The crowd were truly going insane now. The Count had been murdered. By who? When? How?

The sound of clapping turned their attention up to the roof where a mysterious figure stood.

"Well done me, this is just how I wanted it," boasted the stranger.

This mystery man was wearing black robes that were layered in a specific way. He wore hand crafted shoulder guards, bracers and a belt made of ebony, which were engraved with what appeared to be daedric patterns. He wore a black hood which hid his face.

Titus came forward from the crowd, "Who are you and why have you murdered the Count?"

"I'm surprised you don't recognise me Titus. I expected the Count to have forgotten me but not you."

Titus noticed that the strangers voice sounded oddly familiar. Had he met this person before?

The stranger gripped his hood and pulled it back. The whole crowd gasped in horror. His face wasn't grotesque or vile. It was quite ordinary. The man had shoulder length brown hair and a slightly protruding chin. He had a blood red tattoo on his right cheek.

Titus picked up on a more disturbing feature. His eyes were a glowing gold colour. Titus had only regularly seen these eyes on one other person. Serana. This wasn't the most disturbing feature to Titus though. He knew this face. He had grown up seeing this face nearly everyday. It was the face of a friend.

It was the face of Quintus.

"Quintus?" asked Titus.

"So you do recognise me. I thought becoming a vampire might have changed my appearance to unrecognisable levels."

Titus was confused. His best friend was a murderous vampire.

"Why have you murdered the Count Quintus?," questioned Titus. "Why have you done this?"

Quintus spoke, his ragged cape flowing in the night breeze, "Well Titus, It had to be done. My plans, Lord Molag's plans wouldn't be able to happen with the Count still in power. The people of Tamriel will become vampires and swear loyalty to Molag Bal. Anyone who challenges his rule will be killed or enslaved by his power. Kvatch will be the starting point for the vampires domination of Tamriel. This would have been a lot easier if you didn't stop Harkon and his plan to blot out the sun."

Quintus looked to the side of Titus where Serana stood, fangs showing in a vicious snarl, "I see you travel with his daughter. What a pleasure to meet you."

"Not really a pleasure for the rest of us," snarled Serana.

A tear had start to run down Titus's face. His best friend was a tyrannical vampire looking to slave all of Tamriel. All Titus had wanted was a happy reunion with his family and friends and now his best friend was stood before him, a changed person.

"What happened Quintus?," said Titus. "What changed you?"

"Lord Molag showed me what I desired. Power. You know the feeling. Having power at your fingertips. It's exciting."

Titus twisted the Ring of Hircine on his finger. He literally did have power at his fingertips.

"Ah yes, you're Hircine's champion aren't you? How does the power of the beast feel Titus? How does it feel? You're not the only one with little transforming tricks up your sleeve you know. My lord gave me a gift. A very special gift."

Quintus hunched over, his body covered with a black mist. His bones began to twist and contort, his muscles began to flex and stretch into new shapes. Blood burst out, unveiling the shape of a vampire lord.

"He gave me pure blood vampirism," Quintus's voice had turned much more croaky, "I look forward to your arrival, old friend."

The monster split up into a group of bats and flew off into the night. The crowd were baffled at what had took place. Was this a vanguard to an oncoming invasion? Was it a random terrorist attack?

As the chaos ensued, Titus had stormed off and out through the main gate. He searched for a clearing. He needed advice. Advice from a dragon.

"LAAT KIIN AAK!"

After waiting for around a minute, a massive white and gold scaled dragon landed in the clearing. This was Laatkiinaak. Laatkiinaak was Titus's guardian and guide. He had met him on his first journey to High Hrothgar to speak with the Greybeards. His main purpose was to help Titus in times of need; to use his wise judgement to guide Titus through times like this.

"Control your noorend young Dovahkiin. I can sense them too easily."

Titus had his head buried in his hands, "My best friends a mad vampire lord Laatkiinaak, I think I'm allowed to feel upset."

More tears had trickled down Titus's face. This was a traumatic experience for him. It would be for anyone.

"I know he is your fahdon Titus, but he must be stopped. His plans must not be allowed to come to fruition."

"I don't even know where he is now, how am I meant to stop him."

"He resides in a network of abandoned catacombs north of here. Remember Titus, you must be strong to face Quintus."

Titus pondered over what Laatkiinaak had said, "Kogaan Laatkiinaak."

"Just call my name when you need me. Guur Titus."

The mighty dragon beat his wings and flew off into the distance, leaving Titus alone in the clearing. He pulled himself back, laying down on the uncut grass.

Serana came out and joined Titus under the stars. They just stayed there, staring up at the white stars in the sky. Serana squeezed Titus's hand softly, "You okay? It must be strange to see a friend like that."

"Laatkiinaak helped me out. He always does," Titus tilted his head so he faced Serana. "Thanks for the consideration."

Serana used her free hand to brush some of Titus's hair to the side. They just stared into each other's eyes. There seemed to be nothing else worth focusing on. Nothing else of any importance. They pulled each other in and kissed each other under the light of the moon and the stars. Nothing else seemed to exist during that moment.

Their lips slowly parted. Those few seconds had been a magical experience.

"Come on Titus," said Serana, pushing herself up, "we have another mad vampire to kill."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Third chapter in three days. Don't expect this all the time. As I said in my last chapter I'll be going to Belgium very soon. Very early Wednesday morning to be exact. So don't expect any updates until Saturday/Sunday time. So the plot's started to unravel. You'll have to wait to see how it ends. See you later.

Characters:

Quintus: The antagonist of this story. Titus' old friend turned insane vampire lord.

Laatkiinaak: Titus' guardian dragon. Sort of like the dragon off BBC's Merlin series.

Molag Bal: Daedric prince of domination and the creator of vampires.

Dragon Language Glossary:

Laatkiinaak: Last Born Guide

noorend: Emotions

fahdon: Friend

kogaan: Thanks

guur: Goodbye


	4. Family Reunion Chapter 4

Titus had his head in his hands. He had woken up to a wave of disappointment. He'd expected to wake up to find an entire force of soldiers ready to rush Quintus's lair. What he found instead was the polar opposite. Only five men stood before him. Albus was one of them, along with a rather plump looking fellow, two untested rookies and a madman with a warhammer.

Titus's tone was monotonous and dull from the utter disappointment, "Really Diomedes, this is all you could find?"

"I'm sorry but the city is in chaos still after the murder. This is all I could find."

"Ugh," Titus tilted his head down, "when I, Serana and the Dawnguard assaulted Harkon's castle we only just won and we had double the amount of men we have now."

Serana added in, "So what now? We can't let Quintus get away with this."

"True. We'll have to attack. It's our only choice," stated Titus.

"I'll go and get the stable workers to prepare our horses," said Diomedes, walking off to the gate.

Titus walked off, followed by Serana and sat down on a crumbling cobblestone wall.

"How are we going to pull this off Serana? For all we know Quintus's forces outnumber us fifty to one."

"You'll find a way Titus. You always have and you always will," Serana placed her hands over Titus's. "We can do this. Together."

"It's not just that though Serana. I'm worried I won't be able to strike Quintus down. He's a friend. He used to be a good person."

"Exactly. He used to be a good person. Focus on what he is now. I know what your going through Titus. Going against people you know and care about is tough for anyone."

Titus let what Serana had just said flow through his mind for a few seconds before answering, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, and if your fighting today is on par with that kiss yesterday, then Quintus should be petrified."

With the conversation over, Titus and Serana headed down to the stables to leave for Quintus's lair. The world outside didn't reflect what was soon to occur. The trees were covered in multiple colours of blossom. The morning sun covered Kvatch with a yellow glow and the morning breeze blew gently, slightly ruffling anything it passed by. Only the sound of the horses departing reminded everyone of what was about to happen.

* * *

The group arrived at the catacombs at around midday. It was the perfect time to kill vampires. Unfortunately for them though, they were all underground.

They set their horses up by the entrance. Diomedes ordered the two rookies to guard the entrance as the rest of them entered.

There wasn't much inside the tunnel. The only defining features were two torches and a couple of corpses strewn out on the muddy floor. A foul stench of fresh blood and rotting flesh made some of the men reel in disgust.

They started their descent down into the catacombs. The whole network seemed completely deserted.

"This isn't right. You'd think Quintus would have some defenses at least," observed Serana.

"I remember Quintus always being quite a unusual person. He'd never do the obvious thing," added Diomedes.

Titus raised a fist to stop the others from advancing, "Stop."

"What is it brother?"

Titus said nothing. He just stood deathly still, preparing for something to happen. Suddenly, out of the side of the wall, a vampire burst out, tackling Titus to the ground. The vampire seemed to have lost all sense of humanity as he rabidly tried to maul Titus. Titus summoned his strength and threw the vampire off him and to his side. Takinghis shield in both his hands, he smashed it into the vampire's throat, killing him instantly.

"Gods Titus, that was brutal," said an astonished Albus.

"When you're the Dragonborn having to fight all manner of monsters and evil you have to be brutal."

Continuing down further into the catacombs, the group found a large, steel door. Diomedes approached the door and attempted to open it, "Damn, it's locked."

"Stand back everyone, I have an idea," spoke Titus. "FUS RO DAH!"

The steel door was blown away and transformed into bent scrap by the sheer power of Titus's thu'um. A cloud of dust was left in its place.

"You two, stay here. Titus, Serana and I will head down further," commanded Diomedes.

What Titus had uncovered appeared to be a throne room. Little furniture or features adorned the room, apart from a throne made of ebony in the centre. The temperature of the room seemed a lot cooler than the catacombs they had traversed already.

Titus approached the throne and ran his hand along one of the armrests. The metal chilled his fingers right down to the bone.

"This has to be Quintus's throne room. So where is he?" claimed Serana.

Titus noticed a passage at the back of the room, "The catacombs go further down. He could be down there."

"Maybe," added Diomedes.

The trio approached the opening just as a heavily armoured warrior emerged from it, baring his razor sharp fangs. He let out a vile shriek and charged at them, battleaxe high in the air. Titus sidestepped the swing, letting the head of axe smash into the floor. Diomedes struck the armoured juggernaut from behind with his mace but was flung across the floor when he was met with a punch straight into his diaphragm. Serana peppered the vampire with ice spikes that only bounced of the armour he was wearing. Pulling the axe out of the floor, the vampire swung repeatedly at Titus, only missing by a few millimetres. One of the swings managed to connect with Titus's upper torso and slightly cracked the dragonbone that protected it, leaving Titus gasping for breath on the ground. The vampire swung his axe up high and prepared to smash it into Titus. Titus however reacted quickly.

"ZUN HAAL VIIK!"

The axe flew out of the vampire's hands, leaving him completely unarmed. Serana used this time to aim for a weak point in the vampire's armour and unleash a ice spike into it. The spike penetrated his inner elbow, leaving him screaming in agony. With the vampire distracted, Titus took his sword and swung at the creatures kneecaps, bringing him to his knees. Standing up, Titus took of the helmet of the vampire and grabbed him by the hair. He let his sword slice through the vampire's neck, decapitating him.

"Are you okay?" questioned Serana.

Titus was mending himself with his restoration magic, "I'm fine."

Titus went over to his brother and helped him up. They continued further down into the catacombs. The sooner Quintus was dead, the better.

"Are you sure you're alright Diomedes?" Titus turned around to find that Serana and Diomedes were nowhere to be seen. "Serana, Diomedes!"

Titus got no reply. He wanted to look for them. He really did. But he had to carry on. What if they had been abducted? The only way to find out was to find Quintus.

* * *

Serana woke up in a small, dark room. She attempted to move her arms, only to find out she had been strapped into a metal frame by her ankles and wrists. She looked to her right to see Diomedes strapped up just has she was.

"Ah, you're awake."

Serana turned her attention to the origin of the voice. Quintus sat there on a small wooden stool, his golden eyes staring at her.

"It's good to finally meet you properly in person," Quintus tone was smart and clean.

"Where are we?" asked Serana.

"We're just outside the main chamber."

"The throne room?"

"Oh no. That's just where I meet my servants and do formal business and stuff like that. The main chamber's a lot more interesting."

"What are you trying to do Quintus?"

"Having a conversation. I've never had the chance to speak to another pureblood vampire like myself."

Serana was confused. What was Quintus playing at? He must have some other agenda other than having a chat with her.

"Titus will kill you and save the world again. So be ready."

"How deranged you are. Titus may have killed many people before but I'm different to the rest of them. Aren't older people meant to be wiser? If I'm not mistaken you're older than the Empire itself? I'm only the same age as Titus. Surely you can properly predict what will happen."

Quintus's attitude was starting to really bug Serana, "They do say that."

"I think we should talk about childhood now shouldn't we, it'll be fun. I'll start," Quintus began. "I was always viewed as quite a weird child, but everyone liked me. I was best friends with Titus as he has told you. They were fun times. We'd pretend we were the Hero of Kvatch, saving the city from the daedra invasion. Quite ironic really. We grew up together, never leaving each others side. Then one day he left. Went off to further his education. Leaving me with nothing. So I left as well, and found true power."

Serana's sounded rather sarcastic, "Nice story."

"It was. Apart from the end. Let's talk about your childhood now."

"I'd rather not," stated Serana solemnly.

"I forget, you had a troubled childhood didn't you. You're a Daughter of Coldharbour. I've heard the ceremony is degrading. You're family were ripped apart by Lord Molag's gift. Then you were locked away for thousands of years before Titus came and rescued you. Sweet story."

Serana started, "So Quintus, why do you think you're different to the rest of Titus's enemies?"

"Well dear, there's one advantage I have over them, " replied Quintus, "I'm his friend."

A strange humming sound filled the room with sound.

"Looks like Titus has arrived. Be a good girl won't you," Quintus exited through a corridor on the other side of the room and into the main chamber.

* * *

Titus entered into a gargantuan, rectangular room. There were two sides separated with a gorge filled with bubbling lava. The only thing connecting them was a bridge with a circular platform in the middle.

"Well done Titus, you've made it all the way down here. Consider it a privilege," applauded Quintus.

Titus and Quintus walked along the bridge and met each other on the platform.

"Quit the small talk Quintus. You know why I'm here."

"Yes indeed," Quintus said, "you're here to kill me and to save your friends."

"Where are they?"

"Don't worry old friend, they're safe in a room back there. You kill me, they are automatically set free. If I kill you, they will become my property and they will obey me or die."

"Enough of this Quintus," Titus unsheathed his sword, "you die here today."

Quintus drew his sword, "May the best win."

The bridges lowered, leaving just the platform in the middle.

Titus swung his sword at Quintus's abdomen but it was simply parried away. They both started exchanging blows. Neither could get the upper hand on the other. Quintus left multiple dents in Titus's shield from all his swings. Quintus slashed his sword into Titus's left arm, causing him to drop his shield and scream in pain. Titus rolled out of the way of Quintus's slash and unleashed his own attack, letting his blade strike Quintus back, drawing blood and making Quintus flinch in agony.

"I underestimated you Titus. You're good. But I'm better."

Quintus suddenly lashed out, rapidly swinging over and over. One of the swings caught Titus in the upper arm, releasing blood everywhere. Titus summoned his energy to shout, "GAAN LAH HAAS!"

The shout hit Quintus head on, staggering him back and leaving him feeling exhausted and weakened.

"So that is just a fraction of the power of a Dragonborn," said Quintus, smirking wickedly.

Titus used this time to grab his shield and fling it in Quintus's direction. However, Quintus pulled out his whip and yanked the shield out of the air. Quintus then decided to use the whip on Titus. One of the barbs managed to latch into Titus's skin and start to drain him.

"Poor, poor Titus. Oh how very delusional you ar-" Quintus was cut off by a punch into his inner knee, temporarily crippling him.

Titus ran hastily for his sword on the other side of the platform. He gripped it by the hilt but only had mere seconds to block a swipe from Quintus. The two were locked together, swords grinding together.

"Give up Titus. You have no chance."

"I have more than you can ever dream of," spat Titus.

Titus pushed Quintus's sword away and delivered a punch to his face, knocking out one of his vampiric canines.

"You bastard!" exclaimed Quintus.

The two began trading swings once again, neither managing to land a blow. Titus was starting to feel his resolve weakening. Fighting his friend was damaging his mental determination. They'd known each other all their lives. It shouldn't end like this.

Quintus managed to strike in between the crack in Titus's armour and send him staggering back and off the platform. Titus only just managed to save himself form the ferocious lava by grabbing onto the platform in the last moment.

Quintus pointed his sword down at Titus,"How does it feel to be the weak one? Humiliating? History will say that Molag's champion slayed the mighty Dragonborn. I'll be a legend."

Titus didn't speak a word. He just looked up at the tyrant that stood before him. Then he remembered what Serana had said earlier. _"Focus on what he is now."_

"I'll offer you a way out however. Join me. We can rule Tamriel as the pinnacle of the vampiric form."

"Never."

"What a shame. So; any last words."

"Three."

"Spit them out."

"MUL QAH DIIV!"

Ethereal armour formed around Titus. Using his new found strength, he pulled himself up into the air and pounced on Quintus, sending him sprawling. Walking over, Titus picked Quintus up by the throat and dangled him over the edge of the platform.

"You wouldn't kill me Titus. I'm your friend."

"Watch me." Titus released his grip on Quintus and let him plummet into the boiling lava below.

Quintus was dead, his plan dying with him.

The spectral armour surrounding Titus wore off, leaving him in his damaged armour. A strange feeling filled his throat. He violently erupted blood from his mouth. He was covered in the liquid. His body was adorned with cuts and gashes.

The bridges ascended back up, connecting the platform to the two sides again. Serana and Diomedes rushed out of the corridor and towards Titus. All Titus could manage to do was smile before collapsing on the floor.

* * *

Personal Comments:

I'm back from Belgium. It was tons of fun but I'm glad to be back. So there is only one more chapter left of this story. But it's not the end of road for Titus and company. There will be plenty more adventures for him. Please leave reviews and criticise away. See you soon.

Dragon Language Glossary:

FUS RO DAH: I won't bother telling you

ZUN HAAL VIIK: Weapon Hand Defeat (Disarm shout)

GAAN LAH HAAS: Stamina Magicka Health (Drain Vitality shout)

MUL QAH DIIV: Strength Armour Wyrm (Dragon Aspect shout)


	5. Family Reunion Chapter 5

"What the hell is on my face?" was what Titus thought in his head as he sluggishly opened his eyes.

"He's waking up."

It took Titus a few moments to realise where he was. He was back home, multiple parts of his body tightly wrapped in white linen bandages.

"What happened?" muttered Titus. "And why do I look like a newly embalmed draugr?"

Flavia was unwrapping one of the bandages, "Well as far as I know you killed Quintus but got the shit beat out of you in the process."

"Oh. I can remember fighting him. I dropped him into the lava. I dropped my own friend into the lava," Titus started to sound depressed. "What kind of a man does that make me mother? What kind of man does it make me?"

"Don't blame yourself Titus. You had no choice. Quintus had to be stopped."

Titus looked down at his wounds. They had healed up well. They were still easily visible, but the colour in them had started to return to a much more skin like colour. He looked to his side to where his Dragonplate armour was neatly set up on a mannequin. Despite the damage it had endured during the battle, Marcius must have managed to repair it. It looked like it was fresh from the forge.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

Flavia stroked her son's cheek, "A couple of days. You're lucky to be alive. When Diomedes and Serana brought you in you really were battered badly."

"I've survived worse."

"Well at least you're alive. I'll go make you something to eat. I imagine you're famished."

Flavia exited the room, leaving Titus alone in the bed. Titus let out a deep sigh. He was getting a good reward for slaying Quintus at least.

"Hello Titus."

Titus turned his attention to the bench on the other side of the room to find some sort of ethereal man dressed in monk robes, arms crossed, sitting down looking at him.

"What? Who are you?," Titus asked. "I'm not hallucinating am I?"

The spirit began, "No Titus, you are not. I am Akatosh."

Titus truly was bewildered now. Surely this was his mind toying with him. Or maybe his family having some silly joke.

"You're Akatosh? And you're a monk?"

"Yes I am," Akatosh placed his hands on his translucent lap. "I have only chose this form for practical purposes. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to fit in this room."

"What do you want with me?"

"I have watched you since your birth Titus. I was the one who selected your name."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Everyone has a destiny. Very few people know their destiny before it happens. Your destiny is one of the most complex and unique on all of Mundus."

"So," Titus enquired, "why are you telling me this?"

"Only a fraction of your destiny has been completed thus far. You may not realise it until the day comes, but you have a massive role to play still in the fate of Tamriel."

Akatosh began to fade out and disappear. Titus exclaimed, "What do you mean? Don't go. Answer me."

The spirit vanished, leaving Titus alone once again in the room. The door creaked open like a moaning child, letting Serana into the room. She crouched down by Titus and caressed his shoulder, "So you didn't die then."

"Nope, no mad vampires gonna kill me anytime soon."

"Good to hear," Serana ran her finger along the scar on Titus's chest. "Who were you talking to?"

"It doesn't matter. I think I was imagining things."

Serana leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "Poor boy. Medication getting to your head."

"Probably. What else could it be?"

"You being you."

"Yeah," Titus's mouth bent upwards in a smile. "Serana, I've got something to ask you, and I'm probably going to sound completely loopy."

"Go on then."

"I've known you for a while now. And I've started to develop um, um what do I say?"

"Feelings?"

"Um yeah, that's the word. I've developed feelings for you over our travels together and uh, how do I say this?"

"Carry on."

"You know what, there's only one way to say this," Titus pulled the ring box out of his pocket and opened it. "Serana..."

"Titus!?" Serana gasped, her hand over her mouth.

"Will you marry me?"

Time seemed to freeze around during that moment. It seemed to drag on forever. Tears were racing down Serana's eyes one by one. The diamonds encrusted into the ring sparkled like fresh snow.

"Yes." Serana sobbed.

Titus dropped the ring and placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her deeply. She moved her hands onto his cheeks in return. After they parted, Titus picked the ring back up and gently slid it onto her finger.

The dark brown door opened up, "Food is here son," Flavia's mouth opened in surprise. "Titus what's going on? Why are you crying Serana?"

Titus and Serana's replies were perfectly synchronised, "We're getting married."

Flavia's jaw dropped further as she ran over and pulled both of them into a hug, "My little boy's all grown up."

"Ow, mother please stop," groaned a bruised Titus.

"Sorry, forgot about the wounds."

Flavia took Serana's hand to examine the ring, making Serana let out a cute little giggle. She wiped some tears off Serana's face and then pointed at Titus and joked, "You treat her like gold or I'll get Arkay to end your life early."

Titus just laughed before Serana spoke, "He will. Won't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Flavia pulled herself up, "I'll leave you two alone then."

Titus and Serana were left alone in the room with nobody to disturb them. The peacefulness was utter bliss. Serana slid into the covers with Titus, pulling him in closer to passionately kiss him, "You wanna have a bit of fun?"

"What kind?"

Serana smirked, "You know what kind."

"As long as you don't disfigure me."

Titus softly pulled her in and there they stayed in each others embrace for hours.

* * *

It had taken Titus a few more days to fully recover, but now he was able to leave. He gained a lot from this adventure: he reunited with his family, saved the world yet again and found a loving fiancee. But now it was time to return to Skyrim. Cold, white, beautiful Skyrim.

"So when's the wedding?" asked Marcius.

Titus, who currently had his arm around Serana's waist, keeping her close to him answered, "I'll send you a letter when we've actually planned it."

"Yeah," Serana added, "we don't have a clue when or where it will happen do we love?"

"Not a clue."

"Keep safe son," said Flavia, tears rolling down her face, clearly upset to see her son depart.

"I'll try my best. It's hard when you're the Dragonborn."

With their last goodbyes said, Titus's family waved them off as they headed back up north to Skyrim in each others arms.

* * *

Personal Comments:

That's the conclusion of this part of Titus's life. However, there will be many more parts to come. I will try and start the new story soon, but my internet has dipped quite badly recently, but it is improving. So far, it's been a lot of fun writing this story, and I plan to do so for a long while to come. Please leave any feedback and wait for the new story: Warlord of the Sands.


	6. Warlord of the Sands Chapter 1

The ravenous inferno spread throughout the town of Falkreath, illuminating the darkness of the night with a variety of orange shades. Black plumes of smoke bellowed from the burning buildings like an angered dragon. Throughout the town, people fled in all directions trying to escape the blaze. They weren't just escaping the fire though. There were Redguard soldiers scouring the village.

Falkreath had been attacked.

Screams of terror rang out in the air, drowning out the sound of the raging fire. Every building had been set on fire, but it was merely a distraction. The Redguard warriors, dressed in traditional Redguard clothing that had been enhanced with steel plates and armed with scimitars, would round up any fleeing civilian or guard and take them captive.

In the centre of town, just outside the Jarl's burnt down longhouse, the prisoners had been grouped together ready for transport. A man, sporting ebony armour, inspected the hostages on top of his warhorse.

"Excellent work men," the warlord commended. "This will act as perfect bait."

"Let us go you filthy Redguards!" shouted a man from the crowd.

One of the soldiers was just about to punish the hostage for talking out of turn before the warlord intervened, "No soldier, do not harm them."

The soldier lowered his fist, "Why lord Shamar? This man must be disciplined."

"They will learn to be well behaved in due time, they'll have to be if they want to be rescued."

From near the edge of the village, Jarl Siddgeir and two of his guards observed the situation in horror. Siddgeir had little experience as a Jarl and was unsure how to react to such unusual experience. The guards with him were equally terrified as well.

"Sir, what do you plan to do?" whispered one of the guards.

"We rescue them obviously," retorted the young Jarl, displeased with his soldiers irritating question.

"We rescue them sir, or we get someone else to do it?" asked the other guard.

"Not us, we'd get ripped to shreds in seconds," replied the Jarl.

One of the guards decided to question further, "Then who will rescue them?"

"I have just the man."

* * *

The disaster that had occurred the night before had been witnessed by nobody nearby, and the only sign of what had happened was the ruined town that had been burned to the ground. Not even Titus had noticed it in Lakeview Manor, northeast of the destroyed village. He just lay in bed, with the woman of his dreams. Titus managed to open his eyes and blinked a couple of times to clear his eyes. Serana was to his side, snuggling up close with him. He gave her a light peck on the cheek before maneuvering himself cautiously out of bed, trying not to wake Serana up.

He opened the bedroom door and walked into the main hall, the heat from the fire welcoming him. Something walked up to him and sloppily licked his hand. Titus looked down at his dog, Apollo, a young male husky, looking up at him, begging for food. Titus scratched the back of his ear and offered him a fresh piece of meat.

Lydia came through the door to the entry room, bow and quiver on her back, holding a dead rabbit by the leg.

"Good morning my Thane, I hope you slept well."

"Like a rock," Titus focused on the dead rabbit. "I see you've done the hunting early."

"Better to get it out of the way. I might go and hunt some more later, you know how Llewellyn is when it comes to rabbit."

Llewellyn stood, standing on the stairs, leaning on the wall, "What are you saying about me Lydia?"

"I was just saying how much you like rabbit."

"True. Very true," Llewellyn looked down at Lydia's catch. "You only got one! Gods you'll need more than that if I'm around."

Suddenly, there was a sharp, repeating knocking on the front door. It sounded like whoever was knocking was exhausted, even desperate. Lydia pulled the door open to greet the visitor. Siddgeir and his two guards stood, panting heavily outside the house.

"Who is it Lydia?" asked Titus inquisitively.

"It's Jarl Siddgeir and two of his men."

Titus's expression changed from a friendly, happy one to a confused and curious one. What was the Jarl doing all the way up here? Titus knew Siddgeir well and knew he wasn't the sort of person to come and have a chat with one of his Thanes. Walking towards the entrance, Titus became even more confused when he saw Siddgeir bent over, breathing so heavily he could have easily have sucked the ground into his lungs from beneath him.

"What are you doing here Jarl?" questioned Titus.

"I'm here for help obviously," panted the out of breath Jarl.

Titus decided to try and dig deeper, "Help with what?"

"Didn't you see," Siddgeir exclaimed. "Falkreath was attacked!"

"Come on in and we can talk further," gestured Titus.

Siddgeir and his two guards sat at the rectangular dinner table in the main hall and waited for Titus to sit down and begin talking. Lydia poured the men a mug of water each and slid it across the table to them. Titus walked in and sat at the head of the table.

"So what happened," Titus began.

"During the night," Siddgeir stated, "Falkreath was attacked by a group of Redguard warriors. They abducted nearly everyone."

The bedroom door flung open, Serana standing, stretching her arms, "What's all the noise about Titus?"

"Who's this?" demanded Siddgeir.

"This is Serana, she's my fiancee."

"A pleasure to meet you Serana. Now where were we Titus."

"What's happening?" asked Serana.

"Falkreath was attacked," answered Titus.

"I need your help Titus. Go to Falkreath. There's people to be rescued," said Siddgeir.

"I'll get going imm-" Serana's glare caused him to correct his sentence, "I mean we'll get going immediately."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Story zwei. So I know this might seem a bit soon, but I'm letting people vote for the next story after this. Your choices are: A Daedra in Need or The Vampire Child. There should be a poll on my profile page for you to vote or you can leave your choice as a review. As always review and criticise. It only helps me improve. I'll see you in the next chapter.

Characters:

Jarl Siddgeir: Jarl of Falkreath. He's a young and inexperienced Jarl who in my opinion isn't fit to rule.

Warlord Shamar: The bad guy of this story. Will be expanded on later chapters.

Llewellyn: The bard you hire for Lakeview Manor (thanks to Ace of Spies for pointing out that I forgot him)


	7. Warlord of the Sands Chapter 2

Titus and Serana geared up and set off for Falkreath while Siddgeir and his men stayed back at the manor. The walk through the pine forest was relaxing, but it heavily contrasted the state of the town nearby. The village was in ruin. Every building was scared with the signs of fire and some of the buildings had collapsed. The Jarl's longhouse was barely standing up.

"Oh gods," Serana gasped in horror. "Look at the state of this place."

"The entire place burned down. What monster would do this?" Titus added.

Walking nearer, Titus and Serana experienced the devastation first hand. The streets were littered with charred rubble. The whole place seemed to have been transformed into a creepy ghost town. Suddenly, out of a damaged house, came three men with a woman struggling to escape their grasp.

"Let me go you thugs!" the woman exclaimed in panic.

Titus pulled Serana behind a wall so the Redguards couldn't seem them staring at the current situation.

"Shut up woman! You're our hostage, and you'll do what we command."

"Titus, what are we goi-" Before Serana could finish her question, Titus had broken out of cover and stood out in the street.

"WULD NAH KEST!"

Titus's shout propelled him forward towards the warriors. Before the first one could react, Titus impaled him with his sword, the man's body being electrocuted throughout. One of them released his grip on the woman and brought his scimitar down on Titus, but Titus simply blocked it with his shield. The other soldier focused on Titus, releasing his grip on the woman, allowing her to escape the oncoming fury. Titus kicked the oncoming man in the knee, sending him down to the ground in sheer pain. The Redguard left standing attempted to swing his scimitar into Titus side, but was halted in his attempt by a blast of lightning throwing his blade out of his hand. Serana pulled her dagger out and plunged it into the injured warriors heart, ending his life swiftly. Titus then bashed his shield into the surviving man's nose, breaking it and knocking him to the ground. His attempt to rebound and strike at Titus was stopped by Serana who stood on his wrist and yanked the sword out of his hand.

"Why are you here?!" demanded Titus.

"I'll never tell you!" growled the defeated warrior.

"Oh you will, or I'll end you in a horrible way," intimidated Serana.

"What could you do to me bitch?!"

Serana bared her fangs to the man, making his eyes narrow and his breathing rate increase, "I'm not afraid. Lord Shamar taught me to be courageous in the most dire of situations."

"Who is this Shamar," asked Titus. "Is he your leader?"

The soldier remained silent, not revealing a single facial expression. Titus, in utter frustration, unleashed his thu'um once more, "FO KRAH DIIN!"

The warriors life was ended by the power of the shout. The woman approached Titus and Serana timidly to thank them.

"Um, thank you for saving me Dragonborn."

"You're welcome," Titus replied. "What do these men want?"

"During the night, they attacked us, burnt down all the buildings. They captured nearly everyone in the village and transported the to a place they called 'The Pillar' in Hammerfell."

Titus rubbed his head, "Why would they want to abduct everyone in the village?"

All the woman answered with was a shrug. What in the name of the divines did this mean? Why would anyone want to attack Falkreath and capture its population? It just didn't add up.

The confusion in Titus's head was put on standby when a group of Imperial soldiers arrived. There were ten of them in total. They weren't heavily armoured or heavily armed. They must have been a scout group.

"Legate Titus," one of the soldiers stated, "we are here to secure the scene."

"Good. Can you protect this woman? Me and my fiancee have to leave."

Titus and Serana headed back up the path towards the manor covered in the gore from the fight. The walk back up didn't seem nearly as docile as the walk there. The thoughts of the events that had just passed were fresh in Titus and Serana's minds. Not much was spoken, until Serana broke the silence, "Titus."

"Wha-" Titus was cut off as Serana took him by his armour and unexpectedly gave him a good old fashioned snog.

Serana looked into his eyes, "I love you."

"Oh do you now. I thought I was just the guy who offered you a ring and you accepted it." Titus pressed his forehead on hers.

Serana tickled his neck with her fangs, "Which is why I don't want to see you do crazy shit like back then."

Titus wrapped his arms around her, "I always come out in one piece don't I?"

"Not always," Serana said. "When you fought Harkon, Miraak, Quintus, you always came out very badly injured." A tear started to roll down Serana's face.

Titus wiped the tear away, "I'm alright now aren't I?"

"I know you are. It just breaks my heart seeing you in such a state."

"I'll try my best no to get smashed up again."

"Thanks."

* * *

After fetching their horses from the stables outside the manor, Titus and Serana set off for Hammerfell. Titus's horse was a mighty, palomino coloured warhorse while Serana rode on the back of a young bay coloured mare. They had been journeying for around a day and had set up camp and tent just on the border of Hammerfell. They sat in he tent, Titus drawing a picture of Serana in his journal. It contained his accounts of his adventures, from the slaying of Alduin, the destruction of the Silver Hand and even the defeat of Ancano at the College of Winterhold.

"Right. I'm finished." Titus turned his journal around to show his drawing to Serana.

"Aww. You're a really good artist," Serana flicked through the pages, examining the multiple sketches and scanning through Titus's journal entries. "There's a lot of stuff in this."

"Before I met you in Dimhollow, I used to travel alone. That book would be something for me to confide in. Plus my time at the Bards College taught me to appreciate the arts more."

Serana handed Titus his journal and gave him a kiss, "So, any ideas on what these Redguard guys want?"

"Not a clue really. Probably just a group of well organised bandits. Nothing more."

Serana rolled over so she was on top of Titus, "Oh really?"

Titus planted a passionate kiss on Serana's lips, "Probably."

Serana pulled Titus into her embrace, showing her affection. It was practically impossible for Titus to resist such a beautiful creature.

* * *

_"I am Alduin! First born of Akatosh!"_

_"I see this dragon has fangs."_

_"And so the first Dragonborn meets the last Dragonborn at the summit of Apocrypha."_

_"You wouldn't kill me Titus. I'm your friend."_

Titus sharply leaned upwards, wheezing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. The voices. They were all so familiar. The words of evil, twisted beings. Serana was awoken by Titus's sudden movement, perplexed by what was happening.

"Titus. What's wrong?"

"A bad dream. That's all."

Serana rose to Titus's level and comforted him by softly stroking his cheek, "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes. Now lets get some sleep, we've got a lot of ground to cover over the next few days."

* * *

After travelling for a couple of days, Titus and Serana were getting close to finding The Pillar. For some strange reason, it was marked on the map they had of Hammerfell. It was strange for a group of marauders to have their base marked on official maps.

The heat was starting to get to Serana. She'd suggested that they travel during the day. It would improve their visibility and mean they wouldn't have to suffer through the cold desert nights.

The desert itself was very repetitive and seemed endless. There was a ocean of sand dunes as far as the eye could see. The only signs of civilisation were the ruins of desert villages that had been swallowed by the sand. They would sometimes run across a rotting carcass that filled their nostrils with the putrid smell of death. There were no clouds to offer any shielding from the radiating sun, no trees to offer any shade.

"How far are we? This heat is literally roasting me alive," moaned an agitated Serana.

"It shouldn't be too long now. A couple more hours at most."

Serana noticed something in the distance, "Hey Titus, look at that."

Titus turned his gaze to a mountain range in the distance. But there was something else. An Orc stronghold. The shape was unmistakable. However, something was happening just outside it. It appeared to be a fight. The Orcs appeared to be fighting a group of armoured warriors.

Armoured Redguards.

They rushed towards the skirmish. Titus drew his sword and galloped past one of the warriors, beheading him. Serana was blasting ice and lightning in their direction. Titus ran rings around the Redguards, picking them off one by one. The Orcs were easily holding their own against the attack, but Titus and Serana's help was obviously appreciated. In a couple of minutes, the attack had been ended. Titus and Serana regrouped and were approached by an Orc wearing battered Orcish armour and wielding a warhammer.

"Greetings," the Orc spoke, "I am Chief Rorlok. Welcome to our stronghold."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Just a quick heads up. I won't be updating Saturday or Sunday. On Saturday I've got a wedding to attend. And because it's informal, I'll be wearing a fez. I didn't call myself The Fezatron for nothing. On Sunday I'm busy as well. The voting for the next story after this one is still open and will be until the end of this story. So if you enjoy reading this little fic, make sure to vote. As always reviews are appreciated. I love to know what you think. I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Rorlok: Chief of the stronghold. He's a two handed barbarian I created when I got bored on Skyrim once and wanted to smash my enemies with a warhammer. Will be expanded in later chapters.

Dragon Language Glossary:

WULD NAH KEST: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (whirlwind sprint shout)

FO KRAH DIIN: Frost Cold Freeze (frost breath shout)


	8. Warlord of the Sands Chapter 3

Rorlok lead Titus and Serana into the walled stronghold. The place itself was quite small. The Chief's longhouse was situated in the centre. Multiple huts were scattered around the area. In front of the longhouse was a shrine, dedicated to Malacath. A deserted mine was carved in the side of the mountain.

They entered the longhouse and sat down at a table. Rorlok spoke first, "Thank you blood-kin. I appreciate your help."

Titus seemed surprised, "Wait. How do you know I'm blood-kin?"

"Word spreads around the Orc strongholds quick. Most Orcs know who you are Titus. You are Malacath's champion after all."

Rorlok had removed his helmet, revealing all his facial features. He was a gruff and muscly looking person. His hair had been shaved off, leaving him nearly bald. Two scars crossed by his light brown eyes. He reeked of body odour after fighting in incredible heat in full armour.

"Why were you being attacked by the Redguards?" asked Serana.

"Shamar is a greedy man. The mine in our stronghold contains large amounts of gold. That's all he wants with us."

"What do you know about Shamar?" questioned Titus.

"Well," Rorlok answered, "he leads a group called The Conquerors. All he wants is to be rich and rule a mighty empire. I know he had a tough childhood. He was orphaned at a young age."

"Anything else?"

"There are some rumours swirling around. Some people say he can," Rorlok paused for a moment, "mutter words. Words so powerful they can rip people to shreds."

Titus rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Huh. Are you sure?"

"As I said they are only rumours. I assume you are looking for The Pillar?"

"Yes we are," replied Serana.

"I'll join you in your search in the morning. I'd like to see Shamar's end personally. If you want somewhere to rest I have a spare room." Rorlok pointed to a door on the other side of the room.

Making their way through the door, Titus slumped his gear off at the side of the bed as Serana shut the door. Titus placed himself lying down on the bed. Serana moved over and sat next to him, placing her hand on his chest, "You have that look again."

"What look?"

"The look you have when thinking about something important or dangerous."

Titus sighed, "It's what Rorlok said. About Shamar being able to rip people to shreds with his voice."

"You think he can use shouts like you?"

"Maybe. I've never heard of anything else voice related that could rip someone to shreds. Well apart from you when you're angry."

Serana gave Titus a playful pinch, causing him to moan in protest. She shuffled under the covers and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Come on now. Stop brooding over what Rorlok said and relax."

"I suppose you're right," Titus pulled Serana into his embrace. "You're so beautiful."

"And you're such a handsome Dragonborn. You're my Dragonborn."

* * *

The morning sun crept over the mountains, casting shadows down on the entire village. Rorlok, Titus and Serana were outside discussing the plan to attack Shamar.

Titus pulled out his map to show Rorlok, "We're not far from The Pillar. It should just be a couple of hours west from here."

"I know for a fact Titus that Shamar wouldn't just put his base blatantly on a map, pointing it out to anybody who's looking for a good adventure. Anyway, the last time I sent scouts out to check that area all they found was sand."

"So where is it then?" asked Serana.

"Wait," Titus said. "I have an idea. Rorlok can you make sure none of your men attack me when I do this."

Titus looked down at his hand, which was adorned with two rings. One of them, a gold ring featuring a lone sapphire didn't matter. It was the other ring. The Ring of Hircine. It began to glow a vibrant orange colour. That was when the transformation began.

Titus lurched forward, his body changing and contorting. His arms lengthened, his hands enlarged, growing curved claws from the end of each finger. His legs bent into a new, more animalistic shape. His face transformed into a snout, full of razor sharp teeth. The usual blue colour of his eyes turned into a piercing yellow. His human like, straight posture changed into a more diagonal one. The colour of his skin and now fur was a mucky brown.

Rorlok held his men at ease, but was still utterly bewildered at the transformation. Serana had only seen him transform a handful of times. It was painful to see the man she loved turn into such a bestial form. However, Titus managed to lighten the mood by giving Serana a rather awkward looking wink, which made her giggle. Titus then ran off, on all four legs, into the desert, sniffing for a scent that might aid them in their search.

Rorlok turned to Serana, "He's a werewolf!?"

"Yeah. That's my Titus."

"You seem to care for him a great deal."

"I love him. We're getting married soon."

"Congratulations," Rorlok applauded. "Any worries you have. Forget them. Just ask one of my wives."

"Wives?"

"As the Chief I get to marry multiple times to ensure that the next generation of Orcs have the best genes possible."

The conversation was ended when a howl came from behind the sand dunes. Serana and Rorlok rushed over to find that Titus had returned back to his human form and was staring down at the sand.

Serana placed her hand on Titus's shoulder, "What have you found."

"Well," Titus stated, "I haven't really found anything. I can smell something beneath us though."

"What does it smell like?" asked Serana.

"I don't know really. But it doesn't seem to fit."

"ZUN HAAL VIIK!"

Titus's sword and shield were sent flying into the sand behind him. Looking up, he saw Shamar, on top of a armoured horse, glaring down at him.

* * *

Personal Comments:

We're now over half way in this story. Just two more chapters to go before it is over. The next story is still for you to decide. You can vote for it on the poll on my profile page. For any of you wondering, I really did go to the wedding wearing a fez. It wasn't the only strange hat there as well. There was also a wizard hat. I'd also like to thank you, the readers, for being so supportive and following/favouriting. We are over 1000 views :D. As always your reviews are appreciated. Auf Wiedersehen.

Dragon Language Glossary:

ZUN HAAL VIIK: Disarm shout (Weapon Hand Defeat)


	9. Warlord of the Sands Chapter 4

Multiple Redguard warriors now surrounded them, stalking them like a pack of wolves waiting to strike.

"Surrender to me Titus and nobody else will be harmed," demanded Shamar.

Titus slowly raised his hands up in submission.

"Titus. What are you doing!?" said Serana in a disturbed tone.

"If it means that no one is harmed then I'll do it."

"Now. Walk forward."

Titus obeyed Shamar's command and moved forward, the sand shifting under his feet. When he stopped in front of Shamar, a soldier came from his side with a poisoned skewer in hand and plunged it into a weak point in Titus's armour.

Serana screamed in panic, "TITUS!"

Titus collapsed to the ground. He was picked up by two soldiers and placed on Shamar's horse.

"Rorlok, we've got to do something!" exclaimed Serana.

Rorlok, who had been holding her back the whole time answered, "We're outnumbered. Not now. Not here."

Shamar and his men left the scene with Titus, leaving a dust cloud where they once stood. Rorlok and Serana left after, making sure to pick up Titus's sword and shield.

* * *

"Ugh. Where am I?" Titus woke up enclosed in a tiny, circular jail in the centre of a circular room. There were amber lights lighting up the whole room, allowing Titus to find Shamar, who seemed to be at some sort of control panel. He turned around and said, "I see my tutor is awake."

"What do you mean tutor?"

"You Titus," Shamar replied, "will teach me how to properly use my thu'um."

"How in the name of Akatosh do you know how to shout!?"

"Much like that pathetic Nord supremacist guy did. The one that you killed. What was his name?"

"Ulfric Stormcloak."

"That's the one." Shamar pulled down his hood, letting Titus look at his face properly. He had dark skin, a large forehead and his black hair had been cut into one straight line down the middle. He also had very dull brown eyes.

Shamar paced over to the control panel and pressed one of the buttons. Suddenly, the whole structure started to move. It vibrated violently, moving upwards. The windows that had been blocked by the sand now let light in. The roof seemed to fold back, exposing the floor to the bright Hammerfell sun.

"Welcome to The Pillar."

"So that's what I smelled underground," Titus thought to himself.

* * *

Back at the stronghold, Rorlok had been readying men and checking gear to go and save Titus. Serana however was in a sorry state. She just sat on the bed, depressed and upset.

"We'll get him back."

Rorlok came and sat down next to Serana.

"He always does crazy stuff like this. And it really pisses me off."

"You still love him though don't you?"

"Yeah. He's done more for me than anyone else in Tamriel."

Rorlok and Serana sat in silence for a few seconds before Rorlok stated, "We're attacking The Pillar soon. You'll see him again, I promise."

"Thanks. I want to see Shamar die for what he's done."

"That we all do."

* * *

"Look Shamar, I'm not a teacher."

Titus was trying to get across the point to Shamar that learning to become a master at shouting took years, even decades of practice and patience for anyone without the blood of a dragon. Shamar wasn't really listening though. He was just over-determined to learn more shouts.

"You will teach me," demanded Shamar. "You have no choice."

"It would take you all of your lifetime and more to get the the level I'm at."

"I will learn. And Tamriel will be mine."

Shamar turned away and left through a door going further down the tower, leaving Titus alone in the cramped cage. He managed to sit down crossed legged, and pulled out his journal and a piece of charcoal. He thumbed through the pages to find a fresh one and began writing. He had a lot to write about. Mainly what had happened over the last few days but a few random thoughts and even a song. He flicked back to the previous page where he had drawn Serana. Placing his hand over the drawing, he whispered, "I'll find a way out my love. I always do."

* * *

"We're coming my love," murmured Serana under her breath.

The group, comprised of Serana, Rorlok and ten of Rorlok's finest fighters set off in the direction of The Pillar. The journey seemed to be endless. They passed by sand dune after sand dune, with no sight of their destination.

One of the Orcs informed Rorlok and pointed to the south, "Chief, there's a sandstorm approaching."

The horizon in the south was dominated by a cascading wall of sand, creeping up on them.

"Shit," swore Rorlok. "We've got to find The Pillar fast. Before we're consumed by that sandstorm."

Serana noticed a towering stone structure in the distance, "Look over there. That could be The Pillar."

"Maybe. I don't see any other pillar like objects anywhere around us," replied Rorlok.

They made their way hastily to the object in the distance. They ran as fast as possible in the sand, not taking a moment to rest. After fifteen minutes of non-stop running, they finally reached the eroded tower. The stone was ancient, and had been weathered away over the years. It was circular in shape, and stretched into the sky, trying to touch the stars themselves.

The group entered through two rotting wooden doors and made their way up a spiral staircase. They came across a door, alone at the end of a shady corridor. Opening it, they found the hostages, packaged together in rusted iron cells.

* * *

Titus sat alone still in his solitary confinement at the top of the tower. He accidentally kicked one of the bars that was trapping him, and to his surprise it moved.

"Huh. I wonder."

Titus began to try and move the piece of metal to allow him to escape his prison. After a couple of attempts, the metal moved, allowing him to break free. A couple of seconds after, Shamar came back up, completely alone.

"IISS SLEN NUS!"

Titus froze Shamar solid and ran for a weapon rack full of scimitars near the edge of the tower. Taking two of them, he prepared for when Shamar would launch his attack.

Shamar thawed out, the look on his face only partially expressing his anger, "Right you bastard. You're mine."

* * *

Personal Comments:

The fight is nearly here. Shamar vs. Titus. Should be fun. Just as a quick note, Shamar's appearance is based of Mario Balotelli. Why always me. At least he if he gets a banana thrown at him, he won't kill the person who threw it. In fact, he probably would. I was wondering also if you'd like to now the future stories I have planned for Titus, or would you rather be surprised? Please let me know. Finally, leave your reviews, I do love reading them. See you later.

Dragon Language Glossary:

IISS SLEN NUS: Ice Flesh Statue (Ice Form Shout)


	10. Warlord of the Sands Chapter 5

Shamar lunged forward, racing towards Titus, his scimitar high in the air. Titus parried the swing using both the scimitars he had picked up, sending Shamar's blade into the stone. Titus headbutted Shamar in the back of the head, sending him down sprawling on the floor. Titus's victory was short lived however when Shamar swung his legs at Titus's ankles, tripping him up. Shamar then leaped on Titus, swinging down with his scimitar, Titus only just managing to block it in time.

"Die Imperial bastard!" disgustingly spat Shamar.

Titus's respone was quick, pushing Shamar off him and the delivering an uppercut right into his lower jaw. Titus used the time when Shamar was reeling to deliver blow after blow with his borrowed sword, but only managed to land a few hits because of Shamar's blocks. After recovering, Shamar took advantage of his Redguard blood, swiftly overwhelming Titus with lightning quick attacks.

"TIID KLO UL!"

Titus slowed down time, allowing him to predict every attack Shamar launched and counter it with little effort.

"Okay then Titus. My turn," said Shamar. "FUS RO DAH!"

Titus was sent flying across the roof, just managing to stop himself from falling off. Titus pulled himself back up, preparing for Shamar's next attempt.

* * *

"Quick, get them out!" ordered Rorlok.

Serana, Rorlok and his men started to free the hostages, who had been left in squalid conditions. They were cramped together, a lot of them forced to sit in their own muck. There were approximately one hundred of them packaged together. The process was a slow one. Everyone wanted to get out, but with a sandstorm on its way, the smarter thing to do was to stay inside until it passed.

"Stop them!"

A group of Shamar's men entered to try and stop them from freeing the prisoners. The Orcs engaged the Redguards in bloody, one-on-one combat. Rorlok was smashing and mutilating the warriors with his warhammer, while Serana cut through them with her dagger and her magic. In a few mere moments, the Redguards were defeated, left mauled on the floor.

A boom reverberated around the chamber, hinting at what was occurring above.

"I'm going up," stated Serana.

"You don't know what's up there," protested Rorlok.

"That was a shout," argued Serana. "What else could it have been? There's only one man I know who can shout fluently. And that's Titus."

Serana proceeded further up the tower to where the sound came from.

* * *

"VEN GAR NOS!"

Titus unleashed a cyclone upon Shamar, sending him spiraling out of control. Shamar stumbled up, dazed by Titus voice. Titus used this time to tackle him to the ground and started to unleash punch after punch. Shamar's face was now bloodied and beaten, but he still managed to knee Titus in the stomach, cracking his armour and winding him.

"Just die already. I have enough obstacles in my way on creating my empire," bellowed a frustrated Shamar.

Shamar slashed at a weak point in Titus's armour, drawing blood and a scream from Titus. Titus however, pushed Shamar down to the ground. He was just about to swing, but a strange sound caught his attention.

The sound of an oncoming sandstorm.

Both Titus and Shamar fumbled for cover to shield them. They stared at each other menacingly, neither of them backing down.

"LOK VAH KOOR!"

Titus used his thu'um to end the sandstorm and clear the sky, thus starting the fight once again. Shamar charged forward, his sword meeting with Titus's.

"End this silly endeavor Shamar," growled Titus.

"Why should I?" Shamar knocked Titus down to the ground. "Tamriel will be mi-aaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh!"

Serana stood behind Shamar, her dagger dug into his inner knee, "Don't hurt the man I love."

Serana finished Shamar off by digging her fangs into his neck, drinking him dry. The colour in Shamar's face faded as the blood was drained out of him. She let his corpse drop to the ground.

Titus got up, "Than-" Titus was cut off when Serana slapped him across the face, letting out of loud thwack.

"What was that fo-" Titus was cut off once again when Serana cupped his cheeks and kissed him.

Serana slowly pulled away, "I've told you about doing things like this."

Titus hugged her tightly, ruffling the back of her hair with his hand, "I'm still in one piece aren't I?"

Titus got to work mending his wounds with his magic as Rorlok came up and approached them.

"So he's dead?" asked Rorlok optimistically.

"He is," was Titus's answer.

"You have done us a great service. Whenever you need me, I'll be there," said Rorlok. "Also, congratulations on your marriage. When is it?"

"We aren't really sure," Titus looked into Serana's eyes, "are we?"

"No. You can come if you want to. We'll send you a letter with the details."

"It would be my pleasure," replied Rorlok.

* * *

"Lydia, we're back!" informed Titus.

Lydia came down from upstairs, "I trust you're okay?"

"We're fine Lydia," answered Serana. "Thanks for asking."

Titus went and sat down at the table, "Lydia, I have a message for you to send to all the Jarls."

"What is it my Thane?"

"Tell them to send their best builders and architects to help rebuild Falkreath. There are also many people who need temporary accommodation."

"I'll make sure they know."

Lydia left the room, leaving Titus and Serana alone in the main hall. Serana waltzed over to Titus and sat next to him.

"How could Shamar shout?"

"He managed to learn some simple shouts. That's why he wanted me. To teach him."

Serana leaned over to kiss him, "You'd make a good teacher."

"I'm sure I could teach you some things."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Well that's the end of story two. The voting for the next story is now closed. You'll have to wait to see which one is next. Since this is the 10th chapter, I think it is a good time to just say thank you for all the views, reviews, faves and follows. For my first fic this has gone better than I could have ever imagined. ; )

Dragon Language Glossary:

TIID KLO UL: Time Sand Eternity (Slow Time Shout)

FUS RO DAH: You really should know this

VEN GAR NOS: Wind Unleash Strike (Cyclone Shout)

LOK VAH KOOR: Sky Spring Summer (Clear Skies Shout)


	11. The Vampire Child Chapter 1

"Jarl Maven will see you now," informed Hemming, Maven's steward.

Titus and Serana entered Maven's chamber where she sat at her desk, writing away with a quill. Breaking away from her work she greeted them, "Ah, Titus, you're here," turning her attention over to Serana she asked. "So this is your fiancee?"

Titus found a chair to sit in and then replied, "Yes, this is Serana."

"A pleasure to meet you," said Serana.

Maven shook Serana's hand and returned to her desk, "So what is it you want to talk about?"

Titus's facial expression turned serious, "That you aren't sending any help to Falkreath."

Maven looked like some sort of maniac, sat at her desk twiddling around with her fingers. The dim, orange lighting in the room certainly didn't make her appear friendlier.

"I am not going to send any help Titus. I have enough problems in my own hold."

Serana retorted, "Such as a full town of homeless, traumatised people?"

Maven snapped sharply at Serana, "You don't know how to run a hold do you?"

Titus just managed to suppress an urge to punch Maven square in the face. How dare she talk to his fiancee, the woman he loved like that? Titus had never really liked Maven in the first place, but she was pushing it now.

"Look Maven," Titus added, "you can't just stand by and watch. You have to help."

"My word is final. I am not sending any help to Falkreath."

Titus and Serana left disappointed. Even leaving the keep and into the midday weather didn't help. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The trees were a mixture of different summer shades, swaying in the light breeze. The city was alive with activity, people moving, shopping and talking.

Serana rhetorically asked, "How can she just sit back and do nothing?"

"She's a selfish woman. I've never liked the bitch. I preferred Laila Law-Giver, even if she was a Stormcloak supporter."

"After that meeting I think I agree with you."

They sat down on the stone steps next to each other, pondering on what they could do to lighten their moods.

"You know what," Titus spoke out, "I have an idea."

* * *

"Good lord this stuff's good," Serana complemented as she drank her mead.

"Probably one of the only good things the Black-Briars have done, making Black-Briar mead," Titus commented.

They sat together in the Bee and Barb, the city tavern, at a table. The place was relatively quiet. There were a few people in the place drinking away. Keerava, and her now husband, Talen-Jei, were working as usual.

"So," Serana enquired, "do we know where our wedding will be?"

Titus sipped his mead, "I think I've decided. I just need to make sure you agree."

"Go on then love."

"Well there have been plenty of people offering up venues such as the Blue Palace and the Palace of the Kings. Emperor Mede offered us the opportunity to have it at the White Gold Tower!"

"So where have you chosen?"

"Dragonsreach. Right in the middle of Skyrim."

"Hmm," Serana nodded in contempt. "I like it."

"Balgruuf said he'd make it a wedding for the history books."

Serana smiled and then leaned over the table and kissed Titus, "Just how it should be."

Suddenly, the doors flung open, three men clad in leather armour barging through. They approached Keerava and asked, "Have you seen a homeless boy anywhere round here?"

"No," replied Keerava. "We hardly get any kids in here."

One of the men stated, "If you do see him, let us know. It is in everyone's best interests."

The men exited the building to continue their search.

"I wonder what they wanted?" said Serana, confused at what had just occurred.

"I don't know. Probably just a run away child from the orphanage or something."

* * *

Titus and Serana stayed in the inn until night, chatting away. It was Titus's decision to stay this long. He didn't want Serana to be exposed to the sun for too long on their way back home. The city was unusually dark during the night. The dull colouration of the buildings and the darkness of the night itself combined together to do this.

Titus had his arm around Serana as they exited the Bee and Barb. Walking down to the main gate, they started to talk once again.

"Thanks for deciding to travel during the night," thanked Serana.

"You're welcome," replied Titus, pecking Serana on the cheek.

"So, what shall we do wh-" Serana changed what she was saying. "Titus. Can you hear that?"

There was a faint sobbing noise down one of the alleyways. The sound of a child crying

Turning the corner, they found a child, wearing a ripped, sand coloured cloak, with his hands in his face. They slowly squatted down in front of him.

Titus patted the child on the shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Serana pulled back the child's hood. He was a boy, at most fourteen years of age. He had short, blonde hair and a rounded face. His eyes however were a different matter entirely. They were the eyes of a vampire.

"What's your name?" requested Serana.

"Henrik." murmured the child.

Titus reluctantly asked, "Are you a vampire?"

Henrik gulped, "Yeah."

"Why are you here?" Serana enquired.

"I ran away from home. When my father discovered I was a vampire he disowned me. He threatened to kill me. So I came here. My old nanny lives here."

"Well then," Titus said, "let's go find your nanny."

* * *

Personal Comments:

The third story is here. The Vampire Child won. This will be more of a character development story than anything else. But there will be action. There isn't that much else to sat really. As always, your reviews are welcomed like a new, little, adorable puppy (speaking of which my German Shepherd's had three puppies, but that's irrelevant). See you soon.

Characters:

Hemming Black-Briar: Maven's steward and son.

Maven Black-Briar: The Jarl of Riften if the Imperials take Riften. A stuck up, cocky person.

Laila Law-Giver: The original Jarl of Riften and a Stormcloak supporter.

Titus Mede II: Current Emperor of the Empire. Nobody likes him after he signed the White-Gold Concordat.

Keerava: Argonian owner of the Bee and Barb.

Talen-Jei: Another Argonian who walks around the Bee and Barb selling you 'special drinks' (otherwise known as poison) : D

Henrik: Child vampire. He ran away because his father got very angry. Will be expanded in later chapters.


	12. The Vampire Child Chapter 2

Walking through the Riften streets at night certainly did instill a sense of fear. The place itself seemed to be somewhat haunted, with the Thieves Guild down below in the Ratway, the corruption in the city itself and the fact the Riften was just unpredictable in general. Anything could jump at at you at any time.

"It's just down here," pointed Henrik, towards a large house next to the temple of Mara. Henrik certainly wasn't a dumb child. He knew that people were after him. Wearing his cloak was essential.

Titus approached the front door as Serana patted Henrik along. A couple of seconds after knocking on the door, a woman opened it, dressed in her night clothes. The woman was a Breton. She was a head shorter than Titus, who stood at 6'1". Her blonde hair was messy after sleeping. Her large eyes were a pale green colour.

"What do you want at this time of night?" she looked down at Henrik, who had pulled his hood down. "Henrik! What are you doing here!?"

"Long story really."

"Well you bett-" she looked up again at Serana. "Serana!?"

Serana gasped in surprise, "Sabine!"

"Come on now, get inside."

The front room was cluttered with furniture and unpacked goods. There were a few cobwebs hanging around the place.

Sabine apologised, "Sorry for the mess. I only moved in about a week ago and have been incredibly busy."

"It's okay," reassured Titus.

"Serana, can I talk to you upstairs?" asked Sabine.

"Sure."

Serana and Sabine made their way upstairs, leaving Titus and Henrik alone in the room. Titus found a seat to sit in.

"Is she a vampire?" enquired Henrik, removing his cloak and placing it on the back of a chair.

"Serana? I won't lie. Yes she is."

Henrik made his way to the chair next to Titus and plonked himself in it, "What's it like for you? Vampires have to feed," Henrik gulped anxiously, "on blood."

"She always carries around some special potions. Why are you bothered?"

"I feel starved."

"I'm sure if you ask nicely she'll give you one."

Henrik decided to ask, "Is she your wife?"

"She will be soon," answered Titus.

* * *

Serana quietly closed the door so that neither Titus or Henrik could hear their conversation.

"So you got yourself cured?"

"After you were locked away and Valerica fled," Sabine replied, "Harkon had no use for a nanny. Not like I was really needed anyway, you were a fully grown woman by that point. So I glided from job to job. I eventually found a way to cure myself."

"So you're Henrik's nanny?"

"Was. His parents fired me a few months back. Said they had no use for me," Sabine paused for a few moments. "You were always my favourite. And my first. You were such a cute little girl."

Serana laughed. She had always liked Sabine. She had always been such a caring person.

"So," said Sabine, straightening the bed covers, "that man in the bone armour. Who's he?"

"That's Titus. The one who freed me from Dimhollow."

Sabine gazed down at the ring on Serana's finger, "Who's that from?"

"Titus. I forgot to mention he's my fiancee."

"Aww," Sabine went over to Serana and hugged her, "you're all grown up."

"Stop patronising me," joked Serana.

"When's the wedding?"

"Soon," informed Serana. "I'll send you the details."

Serana and Sabine exited the room and walked back downstairs, where Henrik was listening intently to Titus, who seemed to be telling one of his stories.

"Come on then Henrik," Sabine stated, "time for bed. I bet you're exhausted."

Henrik rose out of the chair, "You'll have to tell me more stories tomorrow."

Titus responded, "That I will."

"I'll put him to bed," offered Serana.

Serana and Henrik entered one of the smaller bedrooms. Henrik slowly made his way into the single bed and snuggled up with the fur covers. Serana sat down at the end of the bed.

"Congratulations," said Henrik.

"On what?"

"Getting married."

Serana smiled, "Thanks."

"Can you help me?"

"With what?" asked Serana.

"I need to know how to be a vampire."

Serana came and kneeled by Henrik, "Well, you're weakened in the sunlight. This weakness gets worse every day you don't drink. However, the more starved you become, the more powers you gain."

"Serana, can I have one of your 'blood potions'. Titus mentioned them." Henrik's voice softened. "I can't even bear the thought of drinking human blood from a victim."

Serana pulled out a red bottle and handed it to Henrik. He pulled out the cork stopper and sipped the liquid. It had a sour taste, with a faint hint of iron.

"Not the nicest. But it will do," said Henrik.

"Goodnight." Serana left the room, where Titus stood, with his armour removed, in his change of clothes which he kept with him.

"Is he alright?" enquired Titus.

"Yes," Serana and Titus walked into the guest bedroom and carefully closed the door. "Poor child. It must be hard dealing with vampirism at such a young age."

"We'll set off to Morthal tomorrow. Falion can cure him."

Titus and Serana got into the bed together. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it would be alright for a night.

Serana turned onto her side and passionately kissed Titus, "Nothing's ever simple is it?"

"You should get used to it. You are marrying the Dragonborn after all."

* * *

Four men, three of which had entered the Bee and Barn earlier, stood in the main square, staring at Sabine's house.

One of the men explained, "Sir, we have reason to believe your son is in that house."

"Well done men," Henrik's father congratulated. "You shall be rewarded for this. Even if I have disowned my son, it is my duty to make sure he will never endanger any citizen of Skyrim. Ever."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Second chapter in two days. I'm really grinding through this quickly. For any of you wondering why I gave Serana a nanny, it was because she comes from a rich family, and maybe sometimes Valerica and Harkon didn't have the time for her. I was also thinking about doing a SYOC story later on (not in the near future), featuring Titus and a bunch of other characters. You can submit your character through PM. I am not guaranteeing that there will be a SYOC story, but there might be. See you soon.

Characters:

Sabine: A nanny and a former vampire. Has been the nanny of Serana, Henrik and many others.

Falion: A Redguard wizard who lives in Morthal. An expert on the undead and cure people of vampirism.


	13. The Vampire Child Chapter 3

Sabine heard a knock on the door. The second one in the same night.

"What do people want at this time of night?" she thought to herself as she approached the door. Opening it, she saw four men, lightly armoured, standing at the door. She instantly recognised one of them.

"Wait. Roggvar. What ar-" Sabine was cut off as Roggvar forced his hand over her mouth, and invited himself and his men inside.

They took her down into the basement and forced her onto the table. The place smelled of raw sewage and skeever droppings.

"Nice little place you have here Sabine. Now where's my son," demanded Roggvar. Roggvar had short, somewhat curly brown hair, thick eyebrows and a box shaped face.

Sabine stayed completely silent, which caused Roggvar to backhand her in annoyance. A bright red mark was left across her face.

"Now where is my son," Roggvar demanded once more.

"Why should I say?"

"Don't play stupid with me Sabine. You know he's a vampire. I have made it my job to make sure he doesn't harm anybody, whether it be accidentally or purposefully."

* * *

Serana pushed herself up, trying to listen for the noise below them.

"What is it honey?" Titus questioned, confused at what was going on.

"I can hear something. Voices," Serana frowned, "and it doesn't sound good."

Titus slipped out of bed and began to put on his armour, "I'll check it out."

Serana went to the door, "I'll go make sure Henrik's okay."

Serana gave Titus a quick peck on the cheek before entering Henrik's room. Titus steadily made his way down to the basement.

Henrik lay in his bed, reading a book. Serana made her way over to him and sat down on an old, damaged chair. Henrik folded over the corner of the page he was on and closed the book.

"Are you okay," asked Serana, with care in her voice.

"I'm fine," answered Henrik. "I thought you'd be in bed."

"I was. Before I heard something downstairs."

Henrik was confused, "What did you hear."

"Voices coming from downstairs," Serana was amazed. "You mean you didn't hear it."

"Guess I was too enthralled by this book."

Serana and Henrik's conversation was abruptly ended when Titus barged in, tackling Roggvar to the ground. Roggvar managed to get on top and attempted to punch Titus in the face, but Titus moved and Roggvar's fist smashed into the floorboard, leaving a visible dent. Titus kicked Roggvar off of him and got up, a spell primed in his hand. Roggvar gazed at his son in the bed, "Henrik!"

Roggvar was the hit by Titus's spell, which sent him toppling to the ground like a tree which had been chopped down, fast asleep.

"We need to go, now," Titus ordered. "Get ready. We leave in five. I'll find a room we can lock him in."

Henrik shuffled out of bed, crouching down by his father and freezing his hands and feet to the floor with magic.

"What are you doing!?" Titus exclaimed.

"I've never liked him. It's time for some payback. Anyway, it'll give us some time."

After preparing to leave, Titus, Serana, Henrik and Sabine made their way out of the house through a secret exit, which led outside the city walls. They ran to the stables to fetch the carriage. Titus and Sabine sat in the front, while Serana and Henrik sat in the back.

* * *

A short time had passed since the group had departed from Riften. While Titus and Sabine sat in the front keeping watch, Serana and Henrik were deep in conversation, ignoring the endless black of the night.

"How long have you been a vampire then?" inquisitively said Henrik.

"Oh," Serana sighed, "let's just say quite a while now."

Henrik nodded. The cart rocked gently over the cobbled pathway. Suddenly, it jolted, causing Henrik to cry in pain, clutching his left side.

"Let's see," Serana requested.

Henrik lifted up his shirt, revealing a deep scar down the side of his body. It wasn't bleeding, but it looked rather painful. Serana searched in a knapsack for some bandages, rummaging through a plethora of different items.

"Here we go," comforted Serana as she applied the bandages to Henrik's wound.

"Thanks," Henrik replied in gratitude.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" wondered Serana.

"Well I um, I didn't want to waste your time."

Serana laughed, "You wouldn't have been wasting our time love."

They had just passed Shor's stone. Titus had called out to a group of miners sitting around a campfire. He'd obviously met them before.

Henrik had started to drift off to sleep. The past few days for him had been traumatic and exhausting. Knowing he'd be cold just lying their exposed to the night, Serana fumbled around for a blanket and used it to cover Henrik.

Serana tapped Titus on the shoulder, "He's asleep. Try not to make the cart jolt again. Wouldn't want to aggravate his wound."

"Got ya," he replied.

Sabine turned around to face Serana, "You'd make a good nanny."

"Please Sabine. I'd be the worse nanny ever. Of all time."

"Well your doing a good job with Henrik," Titus argued.

* * *

Roggvar's eyes parted. The room seemed darker than usual. Maybe because he had been put to sleep and now felt rather dizzy. He attempted to get up, but found his hands and feet were frozen to the floor.

"By the eight!" he swore.

After struggling for a couple of minutes, Roggvar managed to shatter the ice binding him to the floor. Walking downstairs, he found his three mercenaries were still out cold. He left them in the house. He had to find his son. Sprinting to the stables, he mounted his bay horse and galloped down the path, pursuing his son like a determined hunter.

* * *

"Hey, what's that?" Sabine pointed out. Something was following them in the distance. Curious to what it was, Titus span his head around and using his werewolf eyes managed to identify who it was. It was Roggvar. He was accelerating ever faster towards them, his horse as angry as he was.

"Sabine, prepare to take the control," ordered Titus.

"Why," asked Sabine, "what are you planning to do?"

"You'll see."

Roggvar was now at the side of the cart, keeping at the same speed. Titus leaped from the front seat and tackled Roggvar off the horse. Serana and Sabine watched in utter amazement, while Henrik continued to sleep. Sabine arkwardly halted the cart.

Titus and Roggvar landed on the hard cobble road and tumbled down it. Roggvar unsheathed a dagger from his belt and thrust it towards Titus.

"FEIM ZII GRON!"

Titus became ethereal, meaning Roggvar's attacks caused no damage to him. Titus slithered out from under Roggvar and raised his hand, attempting to cease the fight. Roggvar lunged at Titus just as he returned to his normal state.

"Stop!"

The two men looked towards the source of the shout. Henrik stood there, straight and firm.

"Can't you just stop!?" he exclaimed.

"Time to come home son," commanded Roggvar.

"Why should I? I'm not your son anymore, remember."

Serana spoke out, "You can leave Roggvar. Just forget about this."

Titus added, "We're going to get your son cured. Then we'll find a home for him."

Roggvar remained silent for a moment, going through what had just been said and then answered, "Okay then. I'll leave."

Roggvar moved back over to his horse and set off into the night, along the path and through the trees.

Titus got back on the cart, "Now then. Let's get you cured."

* * *

Personal Comments:

So there is only one chapter to go. I know this isn't a very long story, but I assure you, the story after A Daedra in Need will be longer. Also, a character of mine is featuring in The Adventures of Kylar the Dishonoured Assassin by the toast which got buttered. He's called Mathieu and I'd appreciate if you went and read it. I might also start some one shots or something like that with him because he's such a strange character. As always, I love your reviews. They help pump me up and motivate me to write more. Anyway, see you soon.

Characters:

Roggvar: Henrik's father, and not a good one at that. The sort of antagonist of this story. His appearance is based off of Mats Hummels, another football player (soccer for you Americans).

Dragon Language Glossary:

FEIM ZII GRON: Fade Spirit Bind (Become Ethereal Shout)


	14. The Vampire Child Chapter 4

"Please step on to that stone plate," requested Falion towards Henrik.

The morning was just rising over the horizon, illuminating the sky in a variety of orange tones. There still wasn't much light, but it was beginning to appear in higher quantities.

Henrik looked up at Serana, who was holding his hand, "Will it hurt?"

"No, it won't," reassured Serana, gently squeezing his hand.

Falion spoke up, "There might be a slight pain, comparable to something such as a stomach ache, but nothing more."

Serana released her grip on Henrik. They watched as he walked into the stone altar.

Falion bellowed loudly, "I call upon Oblivion Realms, the home of those who are not our ancestors. Answer my plea! As in death there is new life, in Oblivion there is a beginning for that which has ended. I call forth that power! Accept the soul that we offer! As the sun ends the night, end the darkness of this soul, return life to the creature you see before you!"

Henrik collapsed to the ground. Titus, Serana and Sabine rushed over, but were halted by Falion, "Give him a few seconds."

After around ten seconds, Henrik rose to his feet seeming distorted and confused. He wobbled from side to side, nearly falling over if it wasn't for Serana who managed to keep him upright.

"My work here is done," informed Falion, who then proceeded to walk back to Morthal.

Henrik managed to sort his balance out and then rubbed his eyes slowly, "A-am I cured?"

Serana parted Henrik's eyelids open. His eyes were no longer the golden colour of a vampire, but a light hazel colour.

"No," Serana answered, "not any more."

Titus and Sabine approached them, Titus placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Sabine leaned on one of the stone pillars surrounding the altar.

Henrik curiously questioned, "What happens to me know?"

"Well," Titus stated. "You need somewhere to live."

The whole group stood, deep in thought as to where Henrik should live.

Titus had an idea, "Do you like magic Henrik? After seeing you freeze your father to the ground I've been wondering."

"Yeah. For quite a few years now I've been practicing it."

"I know just the place then," Titus said positively.

* * *

The main gate to the college opened as the group approached them. A violent snowstorm blasted through Winterhold, making it slightly treacherous to traverse the thin stone bridge connecting the college to the town.

"It's freezing," complained Henrik, shivering in the cold.

"It'll be better when you're inside," replied Titus.

Walking through the main gate, they found Tolfdir strolling by. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed them, "Ah, Arch-Mage, what is it that you want?"

"Tolfdir," Titus said, "I have a favour to ask."

"Go on then."

Titus moved Henrik forward, "This is Henrik. He needs somewhere to live. He's quite proficient in magic for his age."

Tolfdir gazed down at Henrik, "So, what schools do you use?"

"Mainly destruction," Henrik answered, "with a bit of alteration."

"Excellent. If you want to we can start your lessons early," declared Tolfdir. "I'll show you where you sleep."

Tolfdir moved Henrik on, leaving Sabine, Titus and Serana at the entrance.

"I'd better be off then," Sabine mentioned. "My house needs to repaired. I also need to start looking for a job."

Sabine wandered away, leaving Titus and Serana alone. They started to walk back down to the town.

Serana sighed, "He was like the son I'll never have."

"Son you'll never have?" expressed Titus with confusion in his voice.

"I'm a Daughter of Coldharbour. I've lived for thousands of years."

"And."

Serana stopped Titus in the the middle of the bridge, "I don't think I'd be a good mother. My whole life had been dominated by evil."

"You'd be an excellent mother. You've proved it to me and to yourself."

Serana raised her tone of voice, attempting to get her point across, "Titus. I've never had a good childhood. I mean for gods sake I was locked away in some ancient crypt for thousands of years. With the experiences I've had, me being a mother would just be a danger to the child and family you want to have." Tears started to roll slowly down her pale cheeks.

Titus pulled Serana carefully into his embrace, "The past is the past. You have to move on. Otherwise it will destroy you an your life before you know it."

Serana mumbled, "It's hard to forget when it was that bad."

Titus calmly kissed her on the cheek, "That's all over. Focus on now and the future. We're getting married soon. Then we've got all our lives together. We'll cross the bridge regarding children later."

Serana wrapped her arms around Titus, "Okay then. I won't let it destroy me. No matter how bad it is."

"Now," Titus spoke. "Time to go home."

* * *

Personal Comments:

So, that's the third story over. My objective for this story was to set up Serana for motherhood *spoilers*. I hope I've managed to achieve that in your eyes. For any of you wondering, there will be two more stories before Titus and Serana's wedding:

A Daedra in Need: A certain daedra needs Titus's help. Help with something that could change Nirn forever.

Order of the Black Diamond: A certain someone wants Titus dead, and is using the Order of the Black Diamond to do so. The Order is shrouded in mystery, some more horrifying than others.

Now and Forever: Titus and Serana's wedding is here. It's a happy day, free from trouble or evil. Or is it?

I won't tell you any more for now. The story after the wedding will be a surprise until its release. So then, I'll see you in the next story.

Characters:

Tolfdir: The master alteration wizard at the College of Winterhold. Old, but a nice person.


	15. A Daedra in Need Chapter 1

The manor seemed deserted. Nobody seemed to be around, doing jobs or walking around randomly. Only two living things currently resided there. Titus sat in a finely carved wooden chair, with Apollo curled up at his feet, reading a book. He had taken advantage of the fact that Serana and Lydia were currently in Riverwood and that Llewellyn had gone away for a few days to see family and decided to relax in the tranquility.

After the events of the last couple of weeks, all Titus wanted was to enjoy some peace and quiet. As much of it as he could get; he was the Dragonborn after all. Reading through page after page with no noise to disturb him, Titus was caught off guard when there was a knocking at the door. Apollo bounced up and rushed to the door, barking deeply, protecting his master. Titus followed then firmly tapped his dog on the snout, "Quiet Apollo."

Apollo ceased his barking. Titus opened the door, where a young man stood, in green and brown clothes, with a piece of paper in his hand.

"I've got a letter for you," the courier looked up at Titus' face. "Wait, Dragonborn! I'm sorry, I should show more respect."

"It's fine," Titus reassured.

"Oh. Well here's your letter."

"Thanks," Titus went over to a drawer and pulled out a pouch of gold. "Here, take this."

"Really?"

"I pay all the couriers who give me letters."

"Thank you."

The courier briskly walked off into the forest. Titus returned to his seat and unfolded the letter. Reading it, it said:

Titus, I need your help.  
Meet me by the standing stones at any time.  
This matter is urgent.

Regards  
C.V.

* * *

"Why's everyone looking at us Lydia," asked Serana.

"They know you're Titus' fiancee. Everyone here loves the Dragonborn," explained Lydia.

Walking through the small village, there would always be at least one set of eyes on them. They weren't menacing looks though. They were looks of gratitude and curiosity.

"What are we buying then?" questioned Lydia curiously.

"I don't know," Serana said. "Titus said it'd be good for me if I tried my hand at some shopping."

Lydia joked, "Don't worry. I'm not good at shopping either."

With no clue of what to buy, Serana and Lydia decided to sit by the river and ponder on what they should buy.

Serana steadily placed her hand in the water, letting the water rush by her fingers. Lydia gazed up the mountain, specifically at Bleak Falls Barrow. Titus had talked about the place many times. He'd always say it was for him, 'where his journey began'.

Serana looked up at Lydia, wondering what she was looking at, "What you looking at?"

Lydia pointed up at the ruin, "Bleak Falls Barrow. Titus talks about it a lot."

"That he does," Serana agreed.

"Reminds me of a few years ago," Lydia reminisced, "back when he was overwhelmed by discovering he was Dragonborn."

"Aww. He seems to have adapted well."

"Very well," Lydia added. "And now he's getting married. I would have never imagined he'd come this far. Then again, I don't think anyone could imagine a mortal killing a god and doing a bunch of other things on the side."

Serana brushed her hair out of her eyes, "True."

"Come on then," Lydia suggested, "Lets get the shopping done."

* * *

Titus slipped his armour on, grabbed his sword and headed down to the standing stones. It was a cool day. The sun would occasionally be covered by a dull cloud drifting by. There was a damp smell of grass in the air after the rain over the past couple of days. On his way there, Titus ran into a small pack of wolves which he easily dispatched.

Titus arrived at the standing stones to find nobody was there. The three stones stood intact, not shielding anyone or anything.

Titus rubbed his forehead in confusion. Could this have been a joke?

Suddenly, something seemed to come over Titus. His vision started to darken and he began to weaken. He keeled over into the dirt and coughed violently. His body began to disappear until he vanished off the face of Tamriel.

* * *

Serana eagerly opened the door, wanting to see Titus again. Lydia followed in, carrying a basket full of goods. Apollo waddled over and licked Serana's hand. Patting the dog on the head, she shouted for Titus, "Titus!"

She was alarmed to receive no reply. Lydia began searching the bedroom and storage room as Serana checked the kitchen, upper floor and balconies. Their search proved unsuccessful.

"Where is he!?" Serana exclaimed.

"Um, he could have gone for a walk or something like that. Look around for a note."

They searched again for any clues of Titus's whereabouts. After a few stressful minutes of searching, Serana found a note folded up on Titus's chair. She unfolded it and read it:

Titus, I need your help.  
Meet me by the standing stones at any time.  
This matter is urgent.

Regards  
C.V.

"What have you found?" asked Lydia inquisitively.

"Here. Read this."

Serana handed Lydia the note and watched her intently as she read it.

"Okay then. Lets check the standing stones."

* * *

Titus's vision was blurred as he parted opened his eyes. He was sitting in a green, padded chair in some sort of mansion. The room he was in was dark, with only a fireplace and a few wall scones offering any light. His feet rested on a furry, cream rug.

"You're awake."

Titus twisted his head to his right, where a short, plump man with two curved horns protruding from his head. A dog lay at his feet, taking in the heat from the fire.

Titus cleared his eyes, "What's with me and hallucinations?"

"I'm no illusion Titus. I'm Clavicus Vile."

Titus craned his neck around the room, trying to take in his surroundings, "Where am I?"

"Don't be silly Titus. You're in Oblivion."

* * *

"He's not here Lydia," Serana complained.

There was no sign of Titus. The standing stones just stood there as witnesses, not giving their information up to anyone.

"He could be back home by now."

"No Lydia," Serana snarled in anger, "he won't be. He's gone. Again!"

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hi again readers. Number four is here. I've not really got much else to say. Please leave your reviews and comments. If you do, I promise you I will steal a C-130 cargo plane and personally airdrop you a fez in the next ten thousand years. You can't possibly resist that. I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Clavicus Vile: Daedric Prince of wishes. Grants power to mortals, but often takes it away at bad times for them. He's the ultimate troll.


	16. A Daedra in Need Chapter 2

Titus raised out of his cushioned armchair, still trying to comprehend what was currently occurring. He'd been dragged into Oblivion against his will to do a job that was probably dangerous by some short, fat guy.

"Sit down Titus," the dog murmured.

Titus had guessed that the dog at Clavicus's feet was Barbas, the same dog he'd found all alone on the road outside Falkreath.

"No Titus," Clavicus defied. "Let's walk." Clavicus awkwardly eased himself out of his chair, plopping down on the floor like a raindrop on blades of grass. He led Titus into a long corridor, with Barbas following a short distance behind.

The corridor was a pale purple colour and hung up along the wall in perfectly straight rows were multiple paintings of different people. Titus pointed towards them, "Who are they?"

Clavicus answered, "Paintings of my champions," he pointed towards a group of them, moving his focus along. "There's the Hero of Daggerfall, the Nerevarine, the Hero of Kvatch."

Titus gaze wandered further down, "And that's me."

"Yes indeed," Clavicus commented. "You are one of my champions after all."

Continuing further on, they entered a large rectangular room with a thin wooden table in the centre of it. Sat around it were different figures, all unique in appearance.

"Come my champion, sit down," said Clavicus, pulling out a chair. Titus accepted it and sat down cautiously in it, falsely anticipating some strange daedric trap or contraption to be released and attack him.

"Why have you called us here Clavicus?" demanded one of the characters sat around the table. He was dressed in different furs and adorned with animal bones.

"Well Hircine," Clavicus replied, "I have an urgent matter to discuss."

"Spit it out then," snarled another guest at the table. His skin was a vibrant red, covered in tattoos. Four arms stuck out from his muscular body.

It dawned on Titus who these beings sitting around the table were. They were the Daedric Princes. All of them. The worst thing was that Titus was sat opposite of Molag Bal. After killing many of his devout followers and proposing to one of his Daughters of Coldharbour, Titus was afraid he'd be ended right there, right then.

"Okay then," Clavicus bellowed. "A vigilant has managed to break through into my realm; and he's discovered the exterminator."

Multiple groans and growls reverberated around the room. Titus decide to ask, "What's the exterminator?"

Hermaeus Mora, who somehow had managed to sit down as a mass of tentacles answered Titus's question, "The exterminator is a device created by the Aedra when Nirn was created. It's a fail safe. If the Daedra got too far out of hand, that device could be activated, literally ripping Oblivion away from existence. It was hidden away to prevent it being misused."

"The device," Meridia added, "will also rip away anyone who's had any contact with the Daedra. And because virtually everyone on Tamriel has had some form of contact with us..."

"It would destroy everyone on Nirn," Titus finished.

"Exactly sunny Jim," Sheogorath said. "And that's why you're here."

Titus questioned, "Why can't you just go and kill him yourself?"

Molag Bal answered, giving Titus an icy glare of hatred, "No Daedra can go anywhere near the device without being destroyed."

"Okay then," Titus acknowledged. "So you want me to go and end this plot don't you?"

"Exactly." Clavicus stated.

* * *

Serana sat down gloomily in a chair, resting her head on the palm of her hand. Lydia had decided to ride off to Whiterun to ask Jarl Balgruuf if he'd seen Titus anywhere. Apollo gently brushed his fur on Serana's leg. She softly stroked the young dog on the head, trying to relax and escape from the current situation. It was easier said than done.

Titus had left his journal on the main table in the hall. Serana, who had nothing to do, decided to flick through it again, seeing if he'd added anything since the last time she looked back in the tent when they were travelling to Hammerfell. On the last page he'd written on, she found a song about her. It managed to cheer her up slightly, imagining Titus sat there playing it on a lute.

"Why does he do things like this all the time," grumbled Serana. "Why does he Apollo?"

The dog released a bark from his mouth, appearing to reply to Serana's question.

"Gods, if he wants kids one day he'll have to stop doing things like this," Serana thought to herself. With the topic of children swirling around Serana's mind, she grabbed a small piece of paper and a pen and began writing down names.

After a good fifteen minutes of writing down names, Serana finally came across two she really liked. Tiberius for a boy, and Aquilla for a girl. She'd never really liked traditional Nord names and had always liked Imperial names because they sounded more elegant.

Serana still had doubts about children. How would she be around them? She'd apparently proved to Titus she was perfect with children, but she wasn't sure herself. What if she suddenly flipped and accidentally harmed one of them? She'd never be able to forgive herself.

Boredom eventually claimed Serana as she decided to just lay in bed. She didn't bother going under the covers and just decided to stay over them. Apollo trotted in the bedroom and jumped up onto the bed, snuggling up next to her. She caressed his smooth, grey and white coat.

"Where is he Apollo? Where is he?"

* * *

Titus stood by Clavicus's side with Barbas next to him, nearly hurling his guts up after drinking what Clavicus called 'nirnroot tea'. Whatever it was, it should never see the light of day in Tamriel, or the whole continent would be vomiting all over the place.

Clavicus opened the front door, revealing a view Titus would have never predicted. Instead of the twisted, dark, corrupt planes such as Apocrypha and the Soul Cairn, the place was a mass of green fields. It was the exact opposite of what somebody would expect an Oblivion plane to look. It was peaceful, tranquil and calm. Dotted around the place were yellow daedra, wandering around the endless fields. Far in the distance was a stone pyramid, sticking out like a Nord serving the Thalmor.

"There," Clavicus pointed out, "that pyramid in the distance is your target. It's the primer for the device. Along the way, there will be a 'key' that you must procure to gain entry."

"Okay then," Titus noted.

"Barbas will accompany you on your journey. Well, for as far as he can. Also, you'll need to wear this," Clavicus gave Titus a simple silver necklace. "It'll stop those yellow daedra from attacking you. Go on then. Go be the hero once again."

Titus and Barbas began their journey across the endless green fields, conversing about multiple topics on the way.

"So your getting married soon." Barbas said in his usual upbeat voice.

"Wait," Titus gasped in amazement, "how do you know that?"

"My master watches you everyday. You are his champion after all."

"Everyday?" Titus responded in a disturbed tone.

"Yeah. We get some amusement from time to time."

"I don't want to know," expressed Titus. He really didn't want to hear what Barbas had seen him do.

Walking on a little further, they came across a small, ruined building, randomly in the middle of a field.

"This is where the key is," explained Barbas.

"Lets get in there then," eagerly commented Titus.

* * *

Personal Comments:

What's up peeps. I hope you all enjoyed what you just read. Just a little heads up, I probably won't update tomorrow because I'll be seeing my dad for the first time in a couple of weeks. That and my German Shepherd's had puppies that I haven't seen yet. Aww. Well, that's the puppy count up to twelve for this year (from two dogs). Your reviews are appreciated as always (I still have that fez deal going on that I mentioned in the last chapter) and I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Barbas: Clavicus' talking daedric dog that you meet in the quest A Daedra's Best Friend.

Hircine: Daedric Prince who's spirit is the hunt.

Hermaeus Mora: Daedric Prince of knowledge.

Meridia: Daedric Prince who despises the undead.

Sheogorath: Deadric Prince of madness.


	17. A Daedra in Need Chapter 3

Walking inside the dungeon, Titus and Barbas found a place that differed greatly from the crypts found dotted around Skyrim. Instead of the designs, styles and carvings of the Dragon Cult, the place held true to daedric design. Multiple spikes protruded from the wall, the corridors and chambers were a dull metal colour and the walls were adorned with carved pictures of daedra and multiple historical events regarding them.

Titus ran his finger along the wall, the material causing his fingers to go numb and cool, "This isn't normal. This place is wrong."

"Well, it may not be what you're used to, but we still need to traverse this place and recover the key none the less," barked Barbas.

They began their descent into the dungeon, taking in the twisted surroundings. Suddenly, out of two archways that ended in immediate dead ends, two Dremora marched out, with grand, daedric greatswords on their backs. One of them unsheathed his weapon and charged towards Titus. Titus parried the blow as Barbas went to distract the other. Titus lunged forward with his sword, causing the Dremora to leap back. Pushing forward, Titus began swarming the Dremora's legs with swing after swing. In utter rage, the Dremora swung his greatsword straight into Titus's shield, sending him staggering backwards. Just as the Dremora prepared a powerful swing to bring down on his enemy, Titus used his shield to stun the mighty warrior. Using the free time he had to attack, Titus thrust his sword into the Dremora's chest, sending him down to the ground on one knee. Titus released his sword by kicking the Dremora off it.

Barbas had just finished with his opponent as Titus finished his. The Dremora's face was covered in scratches from his fight with the daedric dog.

"Come on," Barbas gestured, "we're not there yet."

They continued deeper, running into multiple Dremora, atronachs and many other varieties of daedra. They finally emerged into a large, circular chamber, with a ring of fire surrounding the edges. Moving further into the centre, Titus and Barbas were halted by a plume of fire erupting from the ground. A large creature, resembling an alligator, stood before the, on two feet. It was covered in light brown scales and had spikes jutting out of its hunched back.

"Daedroth," Barbas casually whispered to Titus.

The beast hammered down on the pair with one of its clawed hands, prompting them to hastily dodge out of the way. Barbas began nipping and maneuvering around its feet, trying his best to keep the monster busy. Titus rushed towards the Daedroth, swinging his sword into its kneecap. The Daedroth took the attack like an arrow hitting an iron wall, and sent Titus skidding along the ground with one of its hands. Titus skidded towards the edge, a small piece of exposed skin being burnt by the fiery ring.

"Ahhh!" Titus screamed in pain, pulling his arm out of the blaze. "How do you like this you demented daedra!"

"FUS RO DAH!"

Titus shout hit the creature in the side, sending it staggering back. Titus rushed forward, pushing his sword deep into the Daedroth's scaly hide. Titus had to hold on tightly to avoid being flung off in the monster's flail of anger. His attempt to climb on the beast's back was quelled when he was sent crashing to the ground, his sword slipping out of the creature. The Daedroth loomed over him, opening its mouth, lined with teeth like perfectly sharpened daggers. Titus had to react quickly as the creature belched out fire from its mouth, attempting to end him. Titus had prepared his sword, and when the Daedroth finished breathing fire upon him, he threw his sword into its mouth like a javelin, causing the creature to crash to the ground.

"Are you okay? Daedroth are tough," asked Barbas with concern in his voice.

Titus got up and began healing his wounds, "I'll be okay. Now where's this key?"

Out of the blue, a stone pillar rose up out of the centre of the room, with a T-shaped object in it. The key shone like a sapphire reflecting the light from a midday sun.

Titus approached the object and yanked the key out of the stone. He observed it carefully, noting its every feature.

Barbas jumped up onto the pillar to get a better look, "Is that it?"

"It has to be," Titus answered. "What else could it be?"

* * *

"What did the Jarl say Lydia?" Serana questioned.

Lydia had returned from her visit to Whiterun to ask the Jarl on Titus's whereabouts. She stood in front of Serana with a disappointed expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," Lydia apologised, "he hasn't seen him anywhere."

Serana let out a sigh of disappointment and upset. There search was starting to feel hopeless; like they would never succeed.

Serana's mind drifted when there was a loud knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Serana offered. She approached the door and opened it. Isran stood there, clad in his Dawnguard armour, with his warhammer strapped to his back.

"Hello Serana," the large Redguard huffed.

"Isran. What a-are you doing here?" Serana stuttered.

"I'm here because one of my best vampire hunters has just vanished off the face of Nirn, and I want answers."

"What do you suspect then?" Serana asked.

Isran glared at her, "You've done something to him."

Serana snarled in anger and disgust. She glared at Isran, making him uncomfortable, "Why would I harm the man I love!?"

"The man you what!?" Isran bellowed in astonishment.

"The man I love. That's right Isran, I love him and he loves me. We're getting married soon and there's not one damn thing you can do about it. Are we clear?"

Isran grunted, his head in his hand, "I suppose it could be worse. You could be like your father."

Serana growled, "Don't you compare me to him." She slammed the door shut on Isran and stormed off into the bedroom. She slumped onto the bed, and started sobbing into the bed covers. Lydia entered and sat down in a chair next to the bed. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds so she didn't overwhelm Serana.

"Where is he Lydia?"

"I don't know. If I did I would have known and fetched him back by now," Lydia asked out of curiosity. "Who was that?"

"Isran," Serana sobbed. "He came to ask where Titus was."

"I'll give you some time to be alone," Lydia stated. She quickly left the room, leaving Serana alone in the bedroom.

* * *

Titus and Barbas had decided to take a break shortly after finding the key. They sat under a large tree. Titus was twiddling with some blades of grass as Barbas contently watched the yellow daedra the inhabited the fields. The place was repetitive. The only thing surrounding them were fields that were populated with the yellow creatures. The sky was devoid of clouds, never changing. There was no breeze or wind rolling around the place offering a refreshing wave of cool air.

Barbas moved his head upwards and faced Titus, "So, this Serana?"

"Yeah," Titus replied monotonously.

"She's important to you, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she means the world to me. After finding her in that crypt and learning about her, how most of her life she had been alone, I wanted to be there for her. To help her through the tough times. She deserved it after all. She gave me companionship as well because I rarely traveled with anyone before I met her. After a while a started to love her and I guess she did too, we were just too scared and shy to tell each other."

"Huh," Barbas said, "as a daedra I don't really understand the concept of love."

"Well it's one of the best feelings that can ever be experienced. Better than pride, hatred or anger. It leaves you with a really good feeling. It makes life worth living if you don't have anything worth living for."

"A good explanation."

"I'm going to get some sleep. I need to be ready to fight this mad vigilant guy." Titus swiftly drifted off into sleep, regaining his energy for what lay ahead.

* * *

_"I'm surprised you don't recognise me Titus."_

_"I look forward to your arrival, old friend."_

_"May the best win."_

Titus awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Despite it being in the past, Quintus still seemed to haunt his mind from time to time. This was the second time know.

Looking towards the pyramid, Titus knew they had to get moving. Fast.

* * *

Personal Comments:

I know I said I probably wouldn't update today, but I was bored. Plus, I can't deny you guys another chapter when I can write it without any hassle. I know I've said it already, but your support is immense. Your reviews, favs and follows keep me going. I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Isran: Leader of the Dawnguard. Despises vampires with a passion, but is a good person at heart.

Dragon Language Glossary:

FUS RO DAH: Come on. You should know this.


	18. A Daedra in Need Chapter 4

Titus and Barbas approached the pyramid slowly but steadily. It wasn't a massive distance away, but in Oblivion, it could have been for all Titus knew. Barbas began whining as if he was in distress, "I cannot accompany you further. The pyramid's protective aura prevents me."

Titus patted the dog on the head, "Okay then," Titus turned his head to the pyramid in the distance. "I guess I'll have to do this alone."

When he turned back around, Titus found that Barbas had vanished. Pushing himself back up, he absently rubbed his nose, reflecting on what had happened and what was to come soon.

Titus began travelling closer and closer. His boots squashed the juicy green grass, leaving a trail in the dirt.

"Why can't I just be left in peace?" Titus mutterd to himself. "It's always me who has to save the world or do jobs for people I barely know because I'm Dragonborn. Can't the world find another heroes to help take the burden off me? I have everyday things to do. Family, friends, marriage." Titus bowed his head. All these jobs and quests he did day in day out were starting to take a toll on him. Before discovering Quintus had turned into a manic vampire, he'd coped with the stress of being a hero of legend decently. Now however, after being forced to kill him, it was starting to weigh heavily on his conscience; even despite what everyone had said about it being the right thing to do. It might have been, but it didn't change the fact that he killed his best friend.

* * *

After travelling for a couple more hours, the pyramid finally felt like it was reachable. Another fifteen minutes and he'd be there. Titus pulled the key from his belt and began examining it. How would he use it? Where would he put it? All questions that would be resolved shortly.

He approached the front entrance. It was surrounded by a fence topped with spikes, preventing any intruder from entering without the key. It was made out of a pale brown rock. The top was flat, allowing for any person wanting to activate the device to stand there. In front of the main gate stood a man, with a black robe on, guarding the entrance. His skin was a bright yellow. He didn't have any eyebrows or eyelashes and his eyes were completely as black as the endless void.

"I am the gatekeeper. I assume you have come to gain access to the pyramid?" bellowed the yellow man.

"Yes," Titus answered. "What are you?"

"I am a daedra. The only daedra that can survive near the pyramid. To gain entry, you must defeat me in combat."

Titus unsheathed his sword, "Come on then."

The gatekeeper unsheathed a mace from his side and swung it at Titus, but it was halted by Titus's shield. Titus jabbed at the daedra's yellow hide, causing a mysterious black liquid to ooze out of the wound. The daedra rolled to the side and smashed the mace into Titus lower back, sending him over and onto the ground. Titus counterattacked by kicking his opponent in the shin while he was still down, buying him some time to regain his bearings. Titus sidestepped the next attack from his yellow skinned attacker, causing him to tumble forward.

"You are a worthy adversary," congratulated the daedra.

"As are you," Titus pulled plenty of air into his lungs. "YOL TOOR SHUL!"

The wave of fire hit the gatekeeper head on, causing him to stagger back. His skin was left completely unharmed, charred or burnt by the attack. Titus was then hit in the side of the face with the daedra's mace. He was protected by his helmet but was sent reeling back. Titus quickly recoverd and launched another attack, rushing at his enemy. The gatekeeper acted in defense and created a wall of fire, separating him from Titus.

"Maybe it is you who is meant to gain entry to the exterminator then," the gatekeeper stated.

Once the raging wall separating the two dwindled away, Titus continued his charge, slicing his sword straight through the daedra's chest, causing more of the liquid to seep out. Suddenly, the gatekeeper unleashed a spell, blasting Titus back. He was stopped midair by another spell and hung in the air like a child's plaything.

"Unlucky. I guess you weren't expecting that."

"And you weren't expecting this," Titus breathed in deeply once more. "DUR NEH VIIR!"

Behind the yellow daedra, the rotting shape of Durnehviir formed out of the purple fires of the soul cairn. The mighty, undead dragon roared ferociously before chomping down on the gatekeeper, decapitating him. His body faded away as a yellow mist and disappeared from view.

"This is not Taazokaan you summon me to Qahnaarin. You know I want to fly in the skies of Keizaal, not another realm of Oblivion," roared Durnehviir, who certainly wasn't amused.

"I apologise Durnehviir but I needed your help then. And you'll be useful in the battle coming."

Durnehviir growled in content. At least he'd be able to do battle once again alongside the Dovahkiin.

* * *

Serana sat on the bed with a piece of paper in hand, listing possible places where Titus could have gone. Even if it didn't accomplish anything, it helped her to stay positive that he would eventually returned.

Llewellyn, who had returned from visiting his family, entered the room, with a flute in hand, "Would you care for some music?"

"Not right now Llewellyn," Serana warmly smiled. "But thanks for asking."

"Are you okay? I was shocked myself when I heard Titus had gone missing."

"No not really. I've cried myself to sleep a few times," Serana solemnly replied.

"Let me know if you want any music to lift your spirits," Llewellyn said softly. He then left Serana alone again. She returned to listing places where Titus could have just suddenly gone to without any notice.

Serana murmured to herself, "Where in Obl-ivion. That's it!"

Serana ecstatically rushed out of the door, causing Lydia to look at her with confusion dominating her face. There was a silence for a couple of seconds before Lydia asked, "What is it?"

"I think I know where he's gone."

"Where then?" Llewellyn expanded.

"Oblivion."

"Really," Lydia looked baffled, "Oblivion?"

"He's been to Oblivion a couple of times already. Once with me, to the Soul Cairn. He's also been to Apocrypha. It makes sense if you think about it."

"I guess we'll see." Llewellyn added.

* * *

Titus pushed the key into a stone pillar resembling the one it had been stuck in back in the dungeon. The gate creaked open, allowing Titus passage up to the top of the pyramid. He reached the top to find it was deserted. The only notable feature was a small pedestal in the middle.

"Thank you for giving me access," cackled a voice from behind him.

Titus turned around to find a person, who was undoubtedly a Vigilant of Stendarr, standing straight, with a small sphere in his hand.

"You've just helped me in the destruction of the daedra once and for all."

* * *

Personal Comments:

So, there's only one chapter left of A Daedra in Need. Will Titus save the world yet again, or will it be doomed? You'll have to wait to find out. I also have a quick question for you guys, the readers. Would you like me to do a story based around the mod Falskaar? I was wondering because it's probably bigger than any of the DLC's Bethesda has released for Skyrim and it looks like it has a good plot. Leave your opinions in your reviews. As always, please review. They act as massive boosts. See you soon.

Characters:

Durnehviir: Undead dragon you meet in Dawnguard in the Soul Cairn. You can summon him by using a shout. Name means Curse Never Dying.

Dragon Language Glossary:

YOL TOOR SHUL: Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)

Taazokaan: Tamriel

Qahnaarin: Vanquisher

Keizaal: Skyrim

Durnehviir: Curse Never Dying


	19. A Daedra in Need Chapter 5

Titus and the vigilant started circling around the pedestal, staring each other down. Neither of them backed off. The vigilant had dark brown eyes, shiny black hair and very pale skin. Titus and readied his sword, preparing for the time the vigilant would decide to attack. The vigilant kept his steel war axe strapped to his side, waiting for the moment to utilise it.

"What are you waiting for?" the vigilant mocked, a wild look in his eyes. "You can strike me down right now."

"What's your name?," Titus asked. "I'm just being polite."

"Odulv."

"Well then Odulv," Titus spoke, "niceties are over."

Titus charged towards Odulv, thrusting his sword towards his abdomen. Odulv pulled his axe off his belt and blocked Titus's attack. Dragon bone met steel and made a vile screech. Odulv span to the side, catching Titus off guard, allowing him to strike him in the weak points in his back. Titus was sent crashing to the ground, blood slowly being released from his wound. Odulv brought his axe up high, preparing to bring his fury down upon Titus.

"GAAN LAH HAAS!"

Odulv attack was abruptly ended when he was sent staggering to the side by Durnehviir's thu'um. Titus took advantage of the time Durnehviir had gained for him as he tackled Odulv to the ground as Durnehviir flew off, preparing to strike again. Titus hammered down with punch after punch, bloodying Odulv's face. The attack was ended when he managed to throw Titus off of him, giving time to stand back up and ready himself for more fighting. Odulv looked to his side, realising he was standing right next to the activation pedestal. Before Titus could react, Odulv placed the exterminator, which was in his spare hand, onto the pedestal. A shock wave blasted the two combatants back. A white, pulsating beam shot up into a vortex in the sky. Tamriel could be seen through the gaping storm in the sky, a reminder to Titus of what he was fighting for.

"Yes!," Odulv shouted in triumph. "Today, the daedra are no more!"

* * *

The ground shook violently all over Nirn. People all over were running in panic or were captivated by the deep, grey, swirling clouds which had blotted out the sun and were dominating the sky.

Serana, Lydia and Llewellyn stood outside the manor, captivated by what was happening. The white beam was shooting down near the bottom of the Throat of the World. A small note drifted down from the sky and landed in Serana's face, causing here to splutter in shock. She took the note and opened it up, reading what it said:

There is a connection near you which must be severed. It is where the white beam is descending to. Titus will deal with the side here in Oblivion.

CV

"So he is in Oblivion," Serana exclaimed in relief. "Who is this CV?"

"Don't even ask me or Llewellyn," Lydia pointed out, "we're just as clueless to who he is as you are."

Serana paced over to the stables to fetch her horse. She looked over at Lydia with urgency on her face, "You coming then?"

"To do what?"

Serana pointed to the beam, "That note said we need to sever the connection or something like that. We need to get to the beam."

Lydia rushed over to her horse and the two women went to the location of the beam. They galloped through the pine forest as fast as their horses were physically able to. The sounds of the forest were completely pointless to them as they raced towards their objective.

Serana and Lydia reached a clearing. The beam was descending into a stone pedestal, isolated in the clearing. Guarding the device were around twenty bandits. Unlike normal bandits however, they seemed entranced. The giveaway was their eyes. They glowed a bright orange, with no distinction between the white of their eyes, their irises or their pupils.

Lydia rushed in with two war axes and began hacking away at the horde of bandits. Serana hung back, pummeling them with destruction magic. As one bandit was killed, two more seemed to appear out of the forest. It was clear that they needed to do something drastic to win; and quick.

"Come on girl, you can do this." Serana ceased her attack and began breathing heavily. She hunched over, a black mist covering her body. Her muscles began to twist into new shapes, her bones began reforming into a new skeletal form. Blood burst out, revealing the shape of a vampire lord.

Serana, in her new from, floated into the battle, blasting the bandits with her blood magic. Lydia watched in bewilderment as the monstrous creature ripped through the bandits like cloth. Serana summoned a gargoyle behind the bandits, which then proceeded to rip them into a million little pieces. She'd occasionally choke one of the bandits as well, sending their bodies flying into the surrounding trees. And in a matter of minutes, the bandit swarm was no more.

Serana returned to her normal form and approached the beam, with Lydia close behind.

"W-what wa-was that?" Lydia stammered.

"A little gift," Serana frowned. "I've never really used it before. I've always hated it. But desperate times call for desperate measures." Serana observed the pedestal. A small sphere rested in the middle. She placed her hand over it and yanked it out. The white beam was cut off, leaving the beam in Oblivion with no link. The storm still raged because of the beam in Oblivion.

With their job done, Serana and Lydia returned home to wait for Titus's return.

* * *

"No!," Odulv screamed in anger. "This can't be!"

Titus and Odulv had continued their battle. Durnehviir had to return to the Soul Cairn, leaving the two combatants in a one-on-one.

"You're not ending the world today." Titus bellowed, pushing forward with his sword. Odulv now seemed to be disheartened by the failure of his plan. In his sheer anger, he began slicing and swinging frantically at Titus. The attacks were to quick for Titus to parry, and he was sent crashing to the floor, covered in gashes and wounds, barely conscious.

"Nobody ends my plans like that. Nobody I say! The world would be cleansed if I would have succeeded. And somebody in Tamriel had to go and end it! WHY!? Well, if I can't destroy the daedra, then I'll kill you!" Odulv took his axe in two hands and brought it up above his head, preparing to bring it down on Titus.

"RII VAAZ ZOL!"

Odulv stood frozen, completely still as his soul was ripped from his body. Titus smiled in triumph before pushing himself up. He approached the beam and ripped the orb from the pedestal, ending the beam in Oblivion. Just after, he passed out, collapsing on the floor. His body was pulled upwards into the storm.

* * *

Serana, Lydia and Llewellyn remained outside the house, waiting for anything to occur. Serana noticed an armoured person emerge from the storm, plummeting towards the ground. She realised immediately who it was, "Titus!"

Out from behind the mountain, a white and gold scaled dragon appeared and caught Titus in the air. He flew down to the front of the manor with Titus on his back. Carefully placing him on the ground, he gazed upon him, checking his wounds. Serana ran over and crouched by Titus's side, cupping his cheeks and crying, "Titus! Titus!"

The dragon stated, "He will recover with treatment within a couple of days."

Serana turned her attention to the mighty dragon, mumbling, "Are you the dragon he talks about all the time?"

"Yes," the dragon answered. "I am Laatkiinaak. His guardian."

"Thank you." Serana sobbed in gratitude, gently embracing Titus in relief.

"You are welcome." Laatkiinaak beat his wings and ascended into the sky, flying off into the wilderness.

* * *

Titus awoke from his days of slumber. After saving the world yet again, the first thing he though was, "I'm hungry."

His thought was answered when Serana walked through with a nice, hot bowl of food. She placed it down on the dresser by the side of the bed and went down on her knees by Titus's side. She kissed him deeply and then rested her head on his chest, stroking his hair, "You're awake."

"That I am," Titus reached for the bowl of soup and began gobbling it down. "Ooo, horker stew."

"For the love of god don't do that again."

"Do what?"

"Vanish like that again. You had me worried."

Titus gently caressed Serana's cheek, "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," Serana walked around to the other side of the bed and got in next to Titus. "Who's CV?"

"Oh, that's Clavicus Vile." Titus replied.

Serana reached into the dresser on her side and pulled out Titus's journal, "Here you go. It was fun to read."

"You didn't read the um, private stuff, did you?"

Serana cheekily smirked, "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

Titus opened his journal, letting a small slip of paper fall out. He took it and unfolded it, reading the names listed on it, "Why are Tiberius and Aquilla circled?"

Serana went tight lipped, not wanting to say why, fearing it may give him the wrong impression.

"You've been thinking about children haven't you?"

Serana wrapped her arms around Titus, "I was bored with you not here. Tiberius for a boy and Aquilla for a girl."

Titus kissed Serana's forehead, "I like them."

They stayed in each others embrace for hours, talking and kissing, catching up on the time they had lost together.

* * *

Personal Comments:

So that's A Daedra in Need over. I hope you enjoyed. It was a lot of fun to write. Regarding the whole Falskaar thing, it would probably be sometime after the wedding (not straight after). I have four ideas planned after the secret story, and I'll probably do them in a random order. If you enjoyed, leave a review (I'm looking at you people who've fav'd/followed but haven't reviewed yet), I love to know what you think. I'm also sorry to say that I won't be updating till Wednesday because I'm going on holiday. I'll see you then and you'll have to wait for the next story: Order of the Black Diamond.

Characters:

Odulv: The antagonist of this story. A madman who wants the daedra to die.

Dragon Language Glossary:

GAN LAH HAAS: Stamina Magicka Health (Drain Vitality Shout)

RII VAAZ ZOL: Essence Tear Zombie (Soul Tear Shout)

Laatkiinaak: Last Born Guide


	20. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 1

Serana closely examined the wide array of wedding dresses before her. The seemingly endless selection meant it was nearly impossible to pick one. They were all too beautiful to choose one over the other.

Serana and Titus had come to Whiterun for wedding preparations. With only around a month left before the big day, it was imperative they managed to find some time away from saving the world.

Serana carefully lifted the dress before her. It was whiter than the tip of a snowy mountain. The fine silk ran majestically down to the ground. The veil and dress straps were adorned with multiple patterns and designs.

"Is that the one?" asked Balgruuf, who was sitting in a wooden chair close by.

Serana gave it a quick final look over before replying, "Yeah."

Balgruuf ordered a group of ten maids in to the hall of Dragonsreach. They unexpectedly guided Serana into a small room, where they began to work like a finely tuned machine as they fitted the dress.

"Seriously, people need to breath you know," Serana complained, glaring in annoyance at the young maid tightening the dress. "Um, what is this?"

"It's skin cream my lady," kindly answered the innocent maid.

"Really," Serana glanced down at the substance in disgust, "blue!"

The maid tried to form a word on her lips, but was stopped by Serana's intimidating look. She made her way out of the situation and continued assisting with the dress. Balgruuf observed the swarm of maids surrounding Serana from the doorway, curious as to what was currently happening.

Within a couple more minutes of hectic dress fitting, the job was finished. Serana stood in the centre of the room, admiring herself in the mirror in the corner of the room.

"So I guess you like it?" predicted Balgruuf, walking into the room.

Serana gave the dress a quick twirl before answering, "It's perfect."

"Good to know. It's quite typical you chose the most expensive one," Balgruuf joked, "but I'm paying for everything."

"You don't have to you know," Serana calmly said, still closely looking at herself in the mirror.

"Oh no no no. Titus has done so much for me, Whiterun and all of Skyrim. Giving him and his wife to be a wedding that would be remembered for centuries to come is an ideal way to say thank you."

"Is it now?" Serana laughed.

* * *

"We could do this though." Titus had been outside supervising the outside preparations for what felt like hours. He was surrounded by multiple architects, designers and many other people as they discussed plans for the outside decorations. And with midday fast approaching on an unusually warm Skyrim day, Titus just wanted to wrap up the business as fast as possible to stay cool.

"Excuse me," Titus stated, "I've got some other things that I need to attend to." Titus hastily ran up the steps towards Jorrvaskr. Up there, he found Vilkas and Farkas standing side by side.

"Harbinger. We have to talk to you," Vilkas informed.

"Please don't call me Harbinger," Titus lowered his head, "that title rightfully belonged to Kodlak. Titus will do just fine."

"Okay then Titus," Vilkas said. "Do we really have to wear suits to the wedding?"

"Um, yeah. We're not really the formal, dressed up kinda guys." Farkas added.

"Come on now guys. It's a wedding. Of course you do. Besides, it'll be an experience. It'll be fun."

"Whatever you say Harb- Titus," Vilkas's thought made him quietly chuckle. "We won't be the comedy though. That'll be Aela. In a dress." Vilkas burst out into laughter, leaving his brother standing there, not knowing what to do with himself.

Aela emerged out of the door behind Vilkas, the door hitting him in the backside and nearly sending him down onto the ground. She looked down at Vilkas with a confused look on her face before looking back up at Titus, "What's he laughing at?"

"The thought of you in a dress," Titus replied, snickering a little himself.

The look on Aela's face immediately turned into one of shock and horror, "Oh please no."

"Sorry."

After Vilkas recovered from his phase of manic laughing, the four warriors went to one of the stone walls around Jorrvaskr and placed themselves on it. Aela sat nearest the steps, with Titus on her right, followed by Vilkas and Farkas.

Farkas turned his head to the left to face Titus, "You love her then?"

"Serana," Titus answered. "Obviously, we're getting married."

Aela was the next to ask Titus a question, "What about sex? Or are you being a goodie two shoes and saving it for after the wedding."

Titus gave Aela a disturbed expression of amazement before giving her a sly look and replying, "I couldn't resist."

The group stayed silent for a few moments, letting the noise of the city take over. People were moving around everywhere, organising, planning and conversing. Vilkas broke the silence by saying, "Remember all the adventures we had together. Four werewolves; the four members of the circle helping the people of Skyrim."

Titus commented, "You've missed some cracking ones: saving the world from darkness, saving the world yet again, this time from a power hungry Dragonborn," Titus went tight lipped for a few seconds, not wanting to remember his journey back home to Kvatch, "killing a Redguard warlord, travelling to Oblivion. You three were the only people I really traveled with before I met Serana."

"Why did you pause just then?" asked Aela inquisitively.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now."

Titus removed his helmet, holding it firmly in his hands and studied it, reminiscing over past adventures. The helmet, as with the rest of his armour which he currently wore, had seen a lot. A lot of bloodshed and action.

"Hey, there's Balgruuf and Serana," noted Farkas, pointing towards them as they walked down the steps of Dragonsreach. The four Companions made their way down to the Gildergreen to greet them.

Titus ran up to Serana, giving her a passionate kiss and wrapping his arms around her. After a few seconds, he slowly pushed away, "Have fun?"

"Plenty." Serana looked over Titus shoulder and gave Farkas, Vilkas and Aela a friendly smile. She parted from Titus's embrace to allow Balgruuf chance to talk with him.

"How are things out here? I hope they are going well," enquired Balgruuf.

"Fine." Titus scratched his chin before continuing his in depth conversation with the Jarl. As they talked, completely oblivious to the world around them, Serana spotted a figure on top of the temple of Kynareth. He was kitted out in a dull brown leather outfit featuring a cape and hood. A quiver loaded with arrows was strapped to his back. In his left hand he held a hunting bow.

Serana's senses began to tingle in warning. She felt something bad was about to happen. Her feeling was right.

The mystery person pulled an arrow silently out of the quiver and knocked it back, aiming it straight at Titus exposed head.

"Move!" Serana shoved Titus out of the way, sending him toppling to the ground. The hooded person loosed the arrow from the bow, sending it in Serana's direction. It impacted her in the shoulder, causing her to collapse.

Titus pushed himself up and gazed angrily at the getaway assassin, "Vilkas, Farkas, Aela, take her in Jorrvaskr. Make sure she's okay. I'm going after this bastard."

Titus sprinted past the Gildergreen, pursuing the assassin. They ran past the houses of the two clans, not pausing for a second so they didn't give their opponent the unwanted advantage.

"WULD NAH KEST!"

Titus accelerated into the assassin, tackling him down the steps, landing in front of Warmaiden's. Titus managed to get on top and grasped the person's throat. Managing to get a look at the assassin's face, Titus found he was barely sixteen. His face was dotted with spots and his black hair was greasy and had clearly not been cleaned in weeks.

A small crowd of people had flocked to the scene, eager to see what was happening

"Please don't kill me! I didn't want to do it. Prophet said he'd kill me and my family if I didn't." The boy removed an amulet from his neck and gave it to Titus, cowering at the sight of such a formidable warrior.

Titus hung the amulet in front of his face, taking in its features. It was made purely out of silver, engraved with multiple patterns and markings. In the centre was a black gem that glistened in the sun. Engraved beneath it were the words: Order of the Black Diamond.

Titus pulled the boy up, handing him to the guards standing around them. He stuffed the amulet into one of his padded pockets and then rushed back up to Jorrvaskr. Barging through the doors, he found Serana lying on one of the tables with Farkas, Vilkas, Aela, a handful of the other companions, Balgruuf and Arcadia, the city alchemist, around her.

Titus approached them softly and kneeled by the table, stroking Serana's forehead, "Serana?"

Arcadia turned to Titus and informed him, "The arrow that hit her was literally dripping with poison. I've managed to keep the situation under control. However, she will probably be unconscious for a minimum of five days. Could be a few days more. Could be a few years."

Tears started to creep down Titus's devastated face. He just stared into the endless abyss, dreading the life he could possibly live without her. Aela placed a hand on his shoulder, "Titus."

Titus rose upwards, letting out a sigh dominated by sobbing, "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"No Aela, I'm really not."

"What are you going to do?" asked Farkas, who stood on the opposite side of the table.

"I'll take her home. Lydia can care for her," Titus replied, taking Serana's hand. "Then I'm going after this Order of the Black Diamond." Titus revealed the amulet to the group, showing it to everyone.

"We'll come with you," Vilkas said confidently. "Just like old times."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Imma back guys. It feels good to finally be bringing you 'Order of the Black Diamond'. It's one of the stories I've had bouncing around in my head for a while now and I'm really looking forward to writing it. This story arc will be longer that the others so far. There's not much else to say, apart from leave your reviews because they're kinda like this website's version of caffeine. See you soon : D

Characters:

Vilkas: Member of the Companions and the twin brother of Farkas. The smart one.

Farkas: Member of the Companions and the twin brother of Vilkas. The um, not so smart one.

Aela: Member of the Companions and a hot werewolf. Me gusta

Arcadia: Alchemist in Whiterun. Owns Arcadia's Cauldron.

Dragon Language Glossary:

WULD NAH KEST: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (Whirlwind Sprint Shout)


	21. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 2

"We'll take care of her. Don't you worry my Thane," Lydia reassured, patting Titus on the shoulder.

"Yeah. She'll be fine with us," added Llewellyn.

Titus gulped nervously at Lydia and Llewellyn's proposal. He trusted them to take care of Serana impeccably, he just didn't want to leave her side. It was something he had to do though. Whatever the Order of the Black Diamond was, it had to be stopped.

He walked over to the side of the bed where Serana lay and gently kissed, "I'll be back."

Titus left the bedroom and walked into the main hall, where Vilkas, Farkas and Aela sat discussing their mission and drinking mead. Titus pulled up a chair and sat next to Aela, on the opposite side of the fine wooden table to the twins. Aela offered him a bottle which he politely refused, "Not now."

"So where is this Order situated?," asked Vilkas. "We can't just go and attack them with no idea of where they are."

"I haven't got the slightest clue. If I did, we'd be going there right now." Titus approached a chest in the corner of the room and pulled out four backpacks full of supplies, listing their contents out loud. "Water, food, bedroll, potions, medical equipment."

Farkas bellowed out his suggestion, "Mead."

"Okay then." Titus disappeared down into the cellar and reappeared with eight mead bottles. "Black-Briar mead. The good stuff."

"I think that's probably it," Vilkas commented.

"So how do we find out where this Order is?" Aela questioned.

Titus pondered for a couple of seconds and then said, "I have just the person."

* * *

"It's fr-fr-freezing," Farkas complained, his teeth chattering together because of the cold.

"You're Nords!," Titus exclaimed, "Surely you can stand a small snowstorm. I'm an Imperial and I'm coping with it better than you."

The group reached the summit after many complaints from the twins. A veil of storming white snow obscured the flat land ahead. Through the blanket blocking their view, the silhouette of a dragon perched on a large stone could be made out. They walked into what they believed was the centre, trying their best to not trip over anything in the freezing gale.

"LOK VAH KOOR!"

The snow storm was abruptly ended by Titus's shout, letting the Companions see the dragon. His wings were tattered and his scales were a dull grey colour. He was clearly old, even ancient.

"Drem Yol Lok," greeted the dragon.

"Drem Yol Lok Paarthurnax," Titus returned.

Vilkas, Farkas and Aela stood in awe at the sight of the wise dragon before them. Paarthurnax turned his attention to them, "Who are these people Titus?"

Titus turned around to introduce them, "This is Vilkas, that's Farkas and that's Aela. They're members of the Companions."

"Ah yes," Paarthurnax acknowledged, "the group you are the Harbinger of. Now what is it you seek?"

"Do you know about a group called the Order of the Black Diamond?" Titus asked.

"Yes I do. They appeared out of nowhere a short time ago. All dov felt their arrival. I don't know why they're here, but it surely isn't good."

Vilkas spoke out, "Do you know where they are?"

"Their headquarters resides on the Isle of Balfiera in the Iliac Bay. The closest city is Wayrest."

"One more question," Titus continued. "What do you know of Prophet?"

Paarthurnax replied swiftly, "He is their leader. I'm afraid that is all I know."

"Now we just need to get there," Aela stated.

A massive thud reverberated through the ground, causing the group to stagger back. Odahviing had landed beside them, his crimson scales covered in snow. The dragon bellowed, "I can help you with that matter."

* * *

The land below seemed like a miniature model to the group of warriors as they flew on Odahviing's back. They had just flown over Markarth, the city appearing as a little mark on the ground under them. The wind felt cool on their skin as it rushed past them.

"It has been a while since we last met Dovahkiin," Odahviing roared, his voice carrying through the air.

"That it has," Titus paused for a few seconds, gazing down at the land of High Rock below. "What do you know of this Order?"

"Not much," the dragon answered. "But I know it is a bad thing. As Paarthurnax said, all dov felt their arrival, including you. You might not have recognised the feeling though."

The dragon cut through the air like a sword through flesh, going at speeds no mortal could ever hope of achieving. To the people on the ground, he appeared as a red dart high up in the air, leaving no trail behind.

"Are we there yet?" asked an impatient Farkas.

"For gods sake," Vilkas screamed, "that's the fifth time now!"

Odahviing breathing began to go raspy as he started to descend against his will.

"What's the matter?" Titus enquired, wondering what was happening.

"There is a great disturbance here. I must land. We are near Wayrest now anyway." Odahviing descended to the ground, landing in a field close to the walled city. The warriors slid off the dragon's back and onto the fresh grass.

"Save travels Odahviing," Titus said.

"You too Dovahkiin. And good luck." The dragon ascended into the clear blue sky and began his return back to Skyrim. Titus, Vilkas, Farkas and Aela made their way to the front gate, where two guards stood guarding it. Approaching them, Titus informed them, "We need to enter."

"What business do you have here?" questioned one of the guards.

"We're travelling." Aela stated.

"Okay then," the other guard reluctantly said. "Any funny business and we'll have you straight in jail."

The great wooden doors opened and the group walked inside. The city was alive with activity. There were shops everywhere, with plenty of customers browsing around. The place seemed to be in perfect order with the city guard patrolling vigorously.

"It would probably be a good idea to start at the inn," Aela suggested.

They made their way into the inn, walking through the busy streets of the trading city. Entering, they found it was quite quiet with it being the middle of the day. Things would surely get busier later in the day. Titus approached the bartender, placing his hands on the bar.

"What can I get you today?" asked the middle aged man.

"What do you know of the Order of the Black Diamond?"

"Well," the bartender began, "there have been a few reports but nothing solid. Travelers are saying they just appeared one day out of thin air. Can you believe it! To be perfectly honest, I think they've been hitting the skooma."

"Anything else," Titus pushed. trying to get more information.

"Nope. You can ask the King. He wants some help with the matter."

Titus left the bar feeling a bit annoyed he didn't get any concrete evidence or clues. Just what he needed.

"What did he say?" whispered Vilkas.

"He said we should see the King."

The group made their way yet again through the streets, pushing through person after person. After the struggle of getting through the crowd, they reached the palace. It was a tall structure, made out of high quality stone and decorated with ornate patterns and large, clear windows. They convinced the guards to let them enter after a short discussion.

The King sat at the back of the main room on a grand throne, eating a selection of Breton cheeses. The group calmly plodded up to him, trying not to alarm any of the guards.

"What is it you want?" scoffed the King, shoveling down another slice of goat's cheese.

Titus asked the King, "What do you know of the Order of the Black Diamond?"

"Not much," he replied. "But they're nothing but trouble. Because you're so interested, I have a job for you."

"Go on then," Titus said clearly.

"I suspect that a local mage in town is working for them. If you investigate, you might get some answers."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hello again readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It wasn't the longest, but there's some good stuff coming in later chapters, so stay tuned. I've also decided to give you, my loyal readers, a little name. The Fez Army. You guys are great. As always, please leave your reviews as I do love to read them. I'll see you in the next chapter : D

Characters:

Paarthurnax: A really old dragon and Alduin's former Lieutenant in the Dragon Wars. He's a central character in the main quest line of Skyrim. The Blades want you to kill him, but that's just wrong.

Odahviing: A red dragon who you capture in the main questline. (Don't know if this happens with anyone else but he doesn't akways come when I call him. Grrr)

Dragon Language Glossary:

LOK VAH KOOR: Sky Spring Summer (Clear Skies Shout)

Drem Yol Lok: Peace Fire Sky

Paarthurnax: Ambition Overlord Cruelty

Odahviing: Snow Hunter Wing


	22. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 3

"Well he was nice," Aela mocked sarcastically as they walked out of the palace.

"Not exactly the most polite of people," Titus commented. "But he's told us where to find this mage guy. Hopefully he'll give us some answers."

The band of warriors entered the chaos of the streets once again, darting and maneuvering their way through the horde of shoppers, merchants and guards. The place was easily one of the busiest cities Titus had ever seen. The whole city seemed to be one massive shop packed with shoppers and traders. Over the ramblings of the city, Titus managed to overhear an interesting conversation.

"You've got to send help. We've been attacked by the Order multiple times now," bellowed a Breton man to one of the guards. He wore a mix of furs and metal plates that were clearly designed to look that way. His helmet was covered by the top jaw of a sabre cat, which was still covered in its thick fur. Skulls and different bones were hanging from parts of the armour as trophies, signifying his strength in battle. A one-handed axe made of steel was strapped securely to his side.

"The King is aware of the situation and will send help whenever possible," the guard stated.

The Breton sighed deeply, "Very well," walking away, he muttered under his voice. "Completely useless."

"I assume he was talking about the Order of the Black Diamond," guessed Vilkas, whispering in Titus's ear.

"I guess," Titus replied. "Come on, we need to find this mage."

Walking across the street and through the sea of people, they reached the mage's house. It was small compared to some of the other houses around. The wall were made out of cobbled stone which was beginning to crumble and the roof was thatched. Titus knocked on the door, the dragon bone clicking sharply on the wood. The door didn't open.

"Nobody's home," Farkas remarked, tapping his feet absently on the cobbled street.

Titus found to his surprise that the door was unlocked. He slowly pushed it open, expecting some madman or monster to jump out. They slipped inside, not being noticed by the mass of people outside.

The room was a complete mess. Scrolls, parchment and books were littered everywhere, creating a thin blanket of paper. A small fire, which was not burning, was situated on the left side. In the corner next to the fire was a desk covered in different spell tomes and soul gems and opposite that was a bed made of rotting wood. Directly opposite the fire was a staircase leading down to the basement below.

"It's strange he just left the door open like that," Aela observed.

"Very true," Titus added, approaching the cluttered desk in the corner, searching for any clues. He noticed a note standing out from the rest of the junk on the table and picked it up, unfolding it and reading it:

I trust my order is ready. You have been a very reliable source so far and it would be a blow to my master and his cause if we lost you. As usual, you will be paid by my men on collection.

Prophet

"Strange." Titus noticed another note on the table and read it to himself:

Greetings. You don't know who I am, but I have a very important job for you. I will pay you dearly. I hear you are a collector of black soul gems and that you 'harvest' them. I would be interested in buying them from you. It is for a very important cause.

Prophet

Titus placed the two notes in his pocket with the amulet to keep as evidence. So far, this endeavor, which had meant to give them some answers, had only given them more to ponder over.

"What did they say?" Vilkas asked.

"It seems to be something about the trade of black soul gems. Both letters were signed by Prophet," Titus explained.

"Is Prophet their leader?" Farkas questioned.

"At first, when the boy in Whiterun mentioned him, I thought he was. These notes seem to state otherwise though. Prophet refers to a 'master' in one of the letters."

"So Prophet is just a servant?" Aela said.

"Maybe," Titus answered. "Lets check the basement. There may be something down there."

The basement was the same size as the room above. In the middle of the room was a steel lever standing on a large, carved stone. On both sides of the room were shelves stocked with chests. Titus pulled one down and examined its contents. It was full of black soul gems.

"So all these chests are full of soul gems," Aela gasped in shock.

"What does this do?" Farkas asked himself, prodding a small button on the wall.

"No brother! Don't touch anything!" Vilkas exclaimed, charging towards his brother in an attempt to stop him. Before he could do anything, the stone wall opened up, revealing a hidden tunnel.

"Okay then," Titus said in astonishment. "We better get down there."

Leaving the giant stash of soul gems behind, they descended into the tunnel.

* * *

After a utterly boring and uneventful journey down into the tunnel, the Companions were starting to doubt their chances of finding anything down there. The mud squelched under their boots as they walked. The place smelled damp and rotten as if it hadn't been used for decades.

Their hope became reality when they heard voices slightly further down the passage. They took cover behind some rocks and observed the scene. Light poured in through a large exit. Three men stood in a very shallow pool of water that could be accessed by a natural ramp leading up to where the group were hiding. Two of the men, who were identical in height, were clad in pure black plate armour made from steel, which didn't reveal a single piece of skin. They both had mighty battleaxes attached to their backs that matched the colour of their armour. The other man was dressed in a blue and gold robe. His face was obscured from view by his hood. He looked like a dwarf compared to the towering figures in front of him.

"There you go, one hundred black soul gems," the man stated. "Now where's my money?"

One of the armoured men pulled out a bulging pouch of gold and handed it to the man, "Our master would like to thank you for your co-operation. The next order will be due in one month." The warrior's tone of voice was monotonous, almost like he was completely zoned out of his body.

The armoured soldiers exited with the chest out of the large hole. The man strolled back up the hill, whistling to himself.

"Stop right there." Titus stood up out of his crouched position, drawing his sword and holding it at the man's neck. Aela, Farkas and Vilkas joined him, unsheathing their weapons and pointing them at the mage.

"I'm sure we can talk this through," the mage pleaded, terrified at the sight of four warriors before him.

"What do you know of the Order of the Black Diamond?" Titus demanded.

"Why do you care?" the man spat.

Titus dropped his shield to free his hand used it to grab the scrawny man around the neck, lifting him off the floor, his anger fuelling his action, "Because they hurt the woman I love by trying to kill me. I won't stand by and let that happen. Now you tell me everything you know or I'll end your life, slowly and painfully."

The man answered, spluttering heavily because of the pressure around his neck, "Not much. They came to me one day with a proposition worth a lot of money. How could I refuse?"

"Who is this master Prophet speaks of?" Titus asked, tightening his grip on the man.

"I don't know. Nobody knows."

Titus released the mage from his grasp, letting him drop into the mud below. He gasped for air after being man handled for so long.

"Now, the King would like a word with you," Titus said, a smirk forming on his face.

* * *

"Take him away. We will have him executed soon," the King ordered to two of his guards. They dragged him out of the room, his resistance failing against the guards. "You have done me a great service. I suspected he was working for them. I'll notify the inn to give you free drinks all night."

"Thank you," Titus said in gratitude.

The four warriors left the palace, making their way to the inn. The activity on the streets had gone down with night approaching. The sun was just starting to set, creating a mystical pallet of oranges in the sky.

"I must admit I can't complain with free drinks," Aela commented to the twins and Titus.

"A good reward, if I must say so myself," Vilkas added.

* * *

_"Well Titus, it had to be done."_

_"I see you travel with his daughter."_

_"Give up Titus. You have no chance."_

Titus gasped, pushing himself upright in the bed. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, trying to calm himself down.

"What's wrong?" Aela questioned, puzzled by Titus's sudden outburst. Aela and Titus were sharing one of the rooms while Vilkas and Farkas shared the one next to them.

"A bad dream," Titus rubbed his forehead. "I keep on having them lately."

"About what?"

"I'd rather not say at the moment if that's alright."

"Okay then. Get some sleep, you'll need it."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hello readers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just a little note, I wrote half of this at around midnight, so there could be some mistakes. As always, please leave your reviews. I have cookies if you do. Mwahahaha. Expect another chapter in the next day or two. See you soon.

Characters:

Prophet: Leader (sort of) of the Order. Handles all the business. Will be fleshed out in later chapters.


	23. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 4

"Come on, wake up!" Aela shouted, attempting to shake Titus out of his deep sleep.

"Ugh," Titus began to fidget, clearly annoyed by his premature wake up, "ten more mintues. Please."

"Now," Aela stopped shaking him, placing her hands on her hips, "we've got to get moving. There's an evil order we need to destroy."

"Okay then. Can I least have a bit of privacy to dress," Titus requested, not wanting to be preyed upon by her.

"Sure," Aela approached the door to leave. "Wouldn't want to ruin your marriage."

Titus was left alone in the small room. He steadily slipped out of bed, stretching and yawning heavily. He began to clumsily armour himself up. The drinks last night certainly weren't helping his coordination. Grabbing his sword and strapping it to his side, he left the room, nearly tumbling because of how tired he was.

"Give up Titus."

Titus swiftly span around to see where the voice came from. Nobody stood behind him or to his sides. Something began trickling down from his nose and towards his mouth. He dabbed at it, wanting to see what it was.

Blood.

Titus wiped the rest of it off with his hand. Why he suddenly had a random nosebleed was unknown to him. It was coincidental it occurred right after he heard the voice.

Leaving the experience behind, he made his way into the main room, where Vilkas, Farkas and Aela stood, leaning against bar, waiting for him. He gestured towards the door, "Let's get going then."

* * *

"Ahhh, the sand is in my boots!" Vilkas complained angrily, the sand agitating him.

They had been travelling for around an hour now along the coastline. The sand was golden and fine to the touch. The cliffs had been eroded for centuries now and showed their scars. The sun reflected down on the water, causing it to appear a vibrant blue as it crashed into the shore.

"It's just a bit of sand. No big deal," Titus joked.

"Oh really," Vilkas commented. "What beautiful beaches have you been to?"

"Once a year me and my family would go down to the Gold Coast. I've been to the Topal Bay once too."

"I'm guessing they beat Skyrim's coasts," Farkas predicted.

"They don't just beat them. They utterly annihilate them. In fact th-" Titus was interrupted when a hand rose out of the sand and grasped him around the ankle. The colour of the armour protecting the hand was one they'd seen before. Titus struggled to break free, but the hand was persistent. Aela stamped on it, causing it to release Titus, sending him crashing into the sand.

The sand shifted around the hand as an armoured person emerged from it. He was identical to the two men in the cave who took the soul gems from the mage. He took the axe from his back in two hands, readying for a fight.

The twins attacked first, swinging their greatswords at their enemy. He managed to parry both attempts, causing them both to stagger back. Aela pulled back and prepared her bow, launching arrow after arrow at the gargantuan man, searching for a weak spot in his armour. There seemed to be none as all the arrows simply ricocheted off and into the sand.

Titus pushed himself up, and with sword and shield in hand, he lunged at the person, trying to search for a way to injure him. Titus's sword simply bounced off the armour, leaving only a slight dent. The warrior swung down with his axe, prompting Titus to sidestep the swing. Titus thrust his sword behind the chest armour plate and ripped it off. To his complete surprise, there was nobody inside, just empty space. Apart from a lone soul gem.

A black soul gem.

"What in the na-" Titus was barged down to the ground by the husk. It loomed over him, preparing to unleash the killer blow. It's attempt was ended when an arrow hit the soul gem, sending the armour cluttering down onto the sand.

Aela walked over and offered Titus a hand which he gratefully accepted. The twins joined them around the pile of metal.

"What the hell!" Vilkas exclaimed.

"I've never seen anything like that before," Aela remarked. "That must be why that mage was trading all those soul gems."

"To create an army," Titus said, rubbing his chin. "I don't know how this works and I'm not even gonna try and guess. This has to be some strange form of necromancy."

"So this Prophet person has an entire army of these things?" Farkas rhetorically asked.

Titus picked up the chest plate he ripped off to examine it. It was engraved with strange, alien patterns he'd never seen before. Encrusted in the centre was a gem matching the one in the amulet.

"So I see you killed one of those abominations," said a voice from nearby.

Titus dropped the metal to see who it was. The same man they had seen in Wayrest conversing with the guard about his village being attacked.

The man approached them, "I think we maybe of help to each other."

* * *

"Master," Prophet got down on one knee before him, "Titus has left Wayrest and is on his way here."

"No matter," the master spoke in a deep, chilling voice. "When he does, he will die and my ambitions can become reality."

"Yes my lord."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hey, imma back with a new chapter which I hope you enjoyed. Sorry it was a bit short but I wanted a little cliffhanger. I've also got a request. Me and The toast which got buttered are looking for new front covers for our stories (go check him out if you haven't already, he's an IRL friend of mine). So that is why I am asking any of you reading this who are proficient at art if you wouldn't mind doing us both front covers. If you are interested, send us PM's saying you are and we'll give you the specifications. It would really mean a lot to both of us and plus, I'd airdrop you a fez within the next ten thousand years (yes I am still doing that). See you in the next chapter.

Characters:

Master: Will be fleshed out in later chapters.


	24. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 5

The stranger came closer, standing in the opposite side of the pile of armour to Titus, "I'm Achille. Warrior-shaman of my village."

Achille's face was covered in scars and scratches from all manner of creatures. His eyes were a dark brown, but it was hard to tell with his helmet casting shadows on his face.

Titus raised a hand, "I'm Titus," he turned around to introduce his companions. "This is Aela, that's Vilkas and that's Farkas."

Achille returned Titus's gesture and picking up one of the pieces of jet black armour, he spoke, "So, you're looking for the Order of the Black Diamond?"

"Yes we are," Titus replied.

"Follow me then. I'll take you to my village."

Achille lead them further along the golden beach towards a cave in the side of the cliff. It was dimly lit up with torches dotted around. A few stalactites and stalagmites poked out of the sand and ceiling. Dull moss covered some of the stones, causing them to feel slippery and damp.

Emerging on the other side, they found a small village surrounded by the cliffs in a clearing. There were a few shoddy huts, a makeshift smithy and a few animals penned up in the corner. The place was protected by a damaged wooden wall which was in the state of being repaired by a handful of villagers.

Achille guided them into one of the huts so they could talk. He rested his axe down on a table and offered the four warriors chairs each. Placing himself on the bed, he asked them, "Do you know why the Order of the Black Diamond exists?"

"No," they replied together.

"Well, prophecies say the order will appear to complete their master's will. To slay the Dragonborn." Titus began to feel agitated in his seat. Achille noticed this and continued. "Are you Dragonborn?"

"Yeah."

The door creaked open, allowing a short, young woman dressed in furs to enter. She softly informed, "I'm here to show you to your rooms."

The four companions rose out of their chairs. Achille told Titus to sit down by using his hand, "I must speak with you."

Aela, Farkas and Vilkas exited the hut, leaving Titus and Achille alone. Achille leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, "Why are you here?"

Titus placed his head slowly in his hands, "I was in Whiterun with my fiancee, planning my wedding. There was an assassin, barely sixteen. He tried to kill me. She got in the way." Titus removed his journal from his pocket and flicked to his drawing of Serana, handing it to Achille. He observed it carefully, with the journal in two hands.

"So this is to avenge her then," he returned the journal to its owner, remarking on the drawing he just saw. "You're a lucky man."

"I must admit sometimes I wonder how I managed to find such a beautiful woman in an ancient crypt."

"What!_"_ Achille said in astonishment.

"Long story," Titus decided to change the subject. "So, what do you know of this master?"

"Nothing really. He just has an agenda which he is adamant on completing."

"To kill me. Why doesn't he just come and do it himself."

"No idea," Achille paused for a few seconds, thinking to himself of a reason. "Maybe he can't."

"Maybe."

* * *

_I was surrounded by a mystical fog, ensnaring me all around. Nothing in sight, just the endless, soulless void. Two golden orbs appeared in the fog, staring at me, splitting my soul. A silhouette formed around the orbs. Then I realised; they were eyes. I recognised the shape before me. He walked away, making me chase him relentlessly._

_"Quintus!" I screamed into the never ending mist as I pursued the figure._

_I started to hear voices, calling to me. Targeting me._

_"Give up Titus."_

_"Give up Titus."_

_"Give up Titus."_

Titus woke up, shaking violently, sweating heavily. Aela leaned up from her bed, bewildered by what had just happened, "Another bad dream? I can help you Titus."

Titus shifted so that he sat up, his muscular upper body exposed. He looked down, sighing heavily, "You know the adventure I didn't want to tell you about?"

"Yeah."

"It's about that. I went down to Kvatch to visit my family and old friends. It was meant to be happy, free from evil. My old best friend, Quintus, appeared at the party the Count was holding. He murdered the helpless Count. It also turned out he was a vampire and had aspirations to transform Tamriel into an empire of vampires. I had to kill my best friend," Titus took a deep breath and exhaled steadily, "and it's destroying my conscience. I keep on having bad dreams. At first I thought it was just me remembering past battles. But then they became more intense. They focused specifically on Quintus. The one I was experiencing just then was the most vivid. And the worst."

"Okay then," Aela pointed to Titus nose. "You've got a nosebleed."

Titus pulled out a piece of cloth, wiping the blood off his face. He welcomed the furs of the bed once again like the soft embrace of love, sinking into their comfort. Aela had already gone back to sleep, leaving Titus awake with nothing to do. He attempted falling to sleep once again, but this time his beast blood was denying him the peace he craved. He dived into a memory to pass the time.

_"Come on Quintus, throw it," Titus said to his best friend. Quintus tossed the ball in Titus's direction, sending it perfectly into his grasp._

_"Good catch," Quintus applauded._

_Titus lobbed the ball high up into the air, catching it calmly and then throwing it to Quintus, hitting him square in the face. The two boys collapsed on the floor in laughter, simply not able to contain their amusement._

_After finishing their seemingly endless laughter, Titus and Quintus went over to the edge of the small stream near them and sat by the edge, staring at their reflections._

_"You know," Quintus said, "someday we're going to be heroes, saving the people of Tamriel from all sorts of danger."_

_"Hopefully. I don't really want to be stuck here for all my life."_

_Quintus gazed optimistically at Titus, "Best friends forever?"_

_"Best friends forever."_

With the warming memory fresh in his mind, Titus finally drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Get up! Get up!," Achille shaked Titus, trying to wake him up. "The order is here!"

Titus pounced out of bed, frantically putting on his armour. Rushing out of the hut, he found a wall of black armoured warriors approaching. The rest of the villages able warriors along with Aela, Vilkas and Farkas stood ready to face the attack. They were outnumbered. Heavily outnumbered.

"Remember," Achille bellowed, "they can only be killed by targeting the soul gem encased within them."

"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" The warriors charged forward into the demented legion of necromantic husks. Steel met steel with a vile screech. Titus lunged forward, attempting to catch one of the soldiers off guard. His sword struck forth, colliding with the plate armour. The warrior was dazed, allowing Titus to rip the front plate off, letting Aela hit the soul gem inside with a perfectly placed arrow.

Titus moved onto another target, tackling it down to the ground and tearing the back plate off. He used his sword to shatter it, ceasing the existence of the abomination under him.

His victory was short lived when another warrior came behind him and lifted him up by collar of his armour, taunting him sadistically. The twins intervened, teaming up on it, decimating its armour allowing for easy access to the soul gem.

A continuous swarm of the black legion seemed to pour through the tunnel, reinforcing the forces already there. Aela joined Titus, Vilkas and Farkas, thinking the same idea they had in their heads. In complete unison, they transformed themselves into the mighty form of the werewolf, ready to rend metal.

Leaping in, they began to rip the warriors apart, allowing them to be easily dispatched. Titus dug his claws into his target, yanking the metal off and ripping the soul gem out using his teeth. Another soldier came from behind, but was simply kicked to the ground by Titus's powerful leg. He descended onto it, dismantling it one by one.

With only a handful of warriors left, the corrupt creations retreated. The battle had been won. And now it was time to counterattack.

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hello again. Hope you enjoyed that. It was interesting writing that little flashback of Titus's childhood. Might do a small story arc on it. So there are only three chapters left. Then it's the wedding! Imma so excited to write it. Should be a lot of fun. As always, please leave a review. They are so much fun to read. I'll see you soon._  
_

Characters:

Achille: Shaman of the village. Breton. Wants to end the order once and for all.


	25. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 6

Achille rushed over to the scene, where the four werewolves had returned to their humanoid state, "You're werewolves!"

"Yeah," Titus replied. "Guess it kinda came as a surprise."

Moving forward through the mass of steel plates scattered on the cave floor, Achille managed to find one of the undead warriors squirming helplessly on the floor. His front chest plate had been torn from the rest of his armour, showing the nearly destroyed soul gem inside. Walking over, Titus inspected the creature in disgust. It spoke in its deep, hollow voice, focusing solely on Titus, "You will die. There is no preventing it."

The soul gem inside flickered out, extinguishing the unnatural energies keeping it alive. Vilkas, Aela and Farkas came to examine the pile of metal alongside Titus and Achille.

"So where is the Order's base?" asked Vilkas.

Achille began to trek further to the exit, "This way, I'll show you."

* * *

"There," Achille guided their gaze over to a large island off the coast, "that's the Isle of Balfiera. I believe their base is situated on the other side of the island."

"Good," Titus remarked, grabbing his sword by the hilt, "let's finish this."

Using a small boat positioned at a dingy dock close by, they began their crossing towards the island. The twins had kindly offered to row, letting Titus go through the thoughts in his head. He let his arm go limp, his fingers being gently caressed by the cool water. Looking down at his own reflection, he imagined Serana's reflection next to him. Placing his hand softly on the apparition, he thought to himself, "I wish you were here."

On the other side of his reflection, his mind imagined the face of Quintus, cruelly smirking at him, the unmistakable look of evil on his face. He caused water to splash all over as he punched at it in anger, trying to forget him as best as he could.

"Titus," Achille placed a hand on Titus's shoulder, "what's wrong?"

Titus span around, slowly licking his lips, "Nothing."

"You've got another nosebleed," Aela notified.

Titus swiftly removed the trickle of blood. Aela and Achille appeared completely baffled by what had just happened, both of them looking at Titus with confusion on their faces.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Achille asked again.

"Yes."

Aela and Achille turned away, focusing on the island ahead.

"You're not okay Titus. Don't fool yourself."

Titus scanned the area behind him, searching for the origin of the voice. He knew in his mind he clearly wasn't okay, but he didn't want to demoralise the rest of the group. Letting his face fall into his hands, he wondered in his mind, "What's happening to me?"

* * *

Serana yawned deeply as she grudgingly opened her eyes, fidgeting around in bed. She stopped after a few seconds, flopping back down into the furs of the bed.

"You're finally awake," Lydia stated in relief, sitting in a chair by the table in the centre of the room.

"What happened? The last thing I can remember is being hit by that arrow."

"You became unconscious. Titus brought you back here."

Serana leaned up, "Where is he?"

"He's um, in High Rock," Lydia replied, cautious of how Serana might react.

"High Rock!," Serana screamed. "Why is he in High Rock!"

"He's gone after some 'Order of the Black Diamond'. The same group that tried to kill him but hit you instead."

A sharp knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Lydia left the room to answer it, leaving the weakened Serana alone in the room. She moved her hand towards the candle on the bedside table, craving the warmth of life. Titus would usually keep her warm, but without him there, she had to turn to other means.

"She's in here," Lydia informed, opening the bedroom door. The visitor walked in, looking intently at Serana.

"Mother!"

"I'll leave you two alone," Lydia said, leaving the room hastily.

"Hello Serana," Valerica greeted, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her daughter. She leaned over to give her a gentle hug her after not seeing her for so long.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you," Valerica brushed a few lone strands of hair out of Serana's eyes. "Am I not allowed to do that now?"

"Well apart from taking an arrow to the shoulder and falling unconscious, I'm fine."

"That's my girl," Valerica gently squeezed Serana's hand, noticing the ring on her finger. "Where did you get that from?"

Serana raised her hand in front of her face to look at the ring herself, "It's from Titus."

"Oh. That man you were with in the Soul Cairn," Valercia took another look at the ring. "It must have cost a fortune."

"Well yeah it's an engagement ring."

Valerica nearly fell off her chair in shock, her eyes flooded with amazement. She started breathing heavily, clearly stunned by the news.

"Mother?" Serana said, trying to gain her attention. "Are you okay?"

After a few more seconds of sucking her lungs back down, Valerica answered, "You're getting married to a mortal!?"

"So."

"How is it even going to work!?" Valerica argued. "You're immortal!"

"We'll make it work."

"It's not as simple as that."

"Look mother," Serana explained, "I love him and he loves me. He's shown me more love, care and compassion than you or father ever did. We'll make it work. Trust me."

* * *

Traversing through the island's foliage, the group finally managed to reach the base. A massive rock floated in the air, a strange purple beam descending from it and into the ground. The area surrounding it was devoid of all forms of life. No trees, weeds, plants or animals even remotely existed there. Something stood in front of the beam, guarding it like a bear with her cubs.

"Come on then," Achille commanded, "let's get closer."

Moving in closer, they managed to get a more detailed look at the sentry. It was around three metres tall. Its body mass was a mangled joining of metal and flesh, but was still humanoid in shape. On the right arm was a spiked flail with the base embedded into the skin. A large hammer was attached on the left arm.

The creature sparked into action at the sight of them, preparing to take on the intruders.

"Shit," Titus swore, knowing they'd have to fight the monster.

The monstrosity pounded forward into battle, charging forward, hammer high in the air. Aela pulled back to begin unleashing a storm of arrows while the others did battle up close. Darting around the creatures legs, Titus began to pester it by slashing at any exposed piece of contorted flesh he could. Vilkas and Farkas attacked from the sides, not wanting to run into the creature's mighty weapons. Achille utilised his magic, spawning vines around the monster's legs, causing it to become clumsy and fail in some of its attacks.

Aela release arrow after arrow at the fleshy parts on the creature, but they seemed to only act like a little child poking something as the monster simply took them. She suddenly got an idea, launching an arrow straight into one of the creature's eyes. It struck exactly on target, causing the beast to swing around in anger an pain after losing partially losing its sight.

Despite their enemy now being at a slight disadvantage, it was still a formidable opponent as it swung its weapons violently, even if it was forced to stay stationary by the vines entangling its legs.

"How are we even meant to kill this thing. Anything that hits it it simply just shrugs it off," Aela complained.

Titus smirked in supposed triumph, "I have an idea."

"What is it?" asked Achille.

Titus ran towards the creature, sword held in front of him, "KRII LUN AUS!"

Titus lept onto the creature's torso, grabbing on for dear life as it writhed around, attempting to get him off. Titus dug his sword into the now weakened front armour plate, twisting it and then tearing it off, revealing a black soul gem encased inside, just like the metal warriors. Letting his sword drop onto the ground, he reached inside the cavity, trying to remove the soul gem maintaining the creature. Wrapping his fingers around it, he started to pull it out, but some sort of magical force was making the task incredibly difficult. The monster fighting back didn't make it any easier.

"Come on you bastard! Die!" Using all his strength, Titus finally flung the soul gem out, letting it land on the ground. The now dead creature crashed down onto the corrupted ground, sending a small shockwave through the earth nearby.

Farkas came over, pulling Titus up. They were then joined by the rest of the group, wondering how to get up there.

"Wait," Titus suggested. "Maybe we walk into the beam."

"Are you crazy!" Achille bellowed in sheer disapproval. "Who knows what will happen."

"Well somebody has to try it. And that'll be me." Titus walked into the beam and was levitated up and inside the rock floating high in the sky. The stragglers immediately followed after seeing proof that it was safe.

The rock's interior looked very peculiar. They stood in a small circular room without a roof and with walls made of boulders. There were four possible routes without doors, each leading in a different direction. Only a large, unnatural purple orb above them offered any source of light.

"Are we in a maze?" Titus asked inquisitively.

"Yes you are."

Titus turned around sharply, staring at the people behind him, "Did you say that?"

"Say what?" Farkas replied in confusion.

Titus turned back around, slowly shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Pointing towards one of the routes, he ordered, "This way."

* * *

"Okay, we're lost," Vilkas commented.

"Yeah," Achille added, "How are we meant to find and fight Prophet if we can't even get through a maze?"

"Yeah Titus," the voice inside his head mocked, "how are you?"

Titus smashed his fist into one of the rock walls in frustration, "Get out of my head!"

"No."

Titus fell to the floor in agony, clutching his head. He felt drained, enough to just collapse on the floor. His mind was damaged. He doubted his resolve to carry on. He wasn't in any state to fight. The sight before him began to go blurry and fade out. Two arms lifted him up, supporting him when he needed it. Farkas and Vilkas had gone to their Harbinger in his time of need.

"Come on. Whatever's wrong with you, we're not leaving you behind. You can do this," Vilkas motivated.

After wandering around the maze for a lengthy time, they finally stumbled on a pair of arched, wooden doors.

Whatever lay on the other side didn't matter. This was it. Prophet was going down.

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hope all you loyal readers and maybe the not so loyal readers enjoyed that. Big fight is in the next chapter. Maybe some questions will be answered. Maybe some more questions will be created. Who knows? Well, I know, but you have to wait. This chapter could have been out yesterday but I decided to watch Terminator 2... what a film. So, if you did enjoy or are have this story fav'd or followed, please leave a review, can we smash... (okay, I won't go youtube gamer on you, but you get the idea) yeah, please leave a little review. So, next chapter should be out tomorrow, but don't worry... I'll be back.

Dragon Language Glossary:

KRII LUN AUS: Kill Leech Suffer (Marked For Death Shout)


	26. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 7

Barging through the doors, the band of warriors were taken off guard when they mysteriously floated into the air, their wrists and ankles restrained by unusual magical energy. Struggling was futile as the bindings simply seemed to tighten their grip.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

The triangular room was spontaneously illuminated by braziers containing purple fire, banishing the darkness and allowing the speaker to be seen. A man stood on a slightly elevated platform at the opposite side of the room. He was particularly tall at around only 5'8". He wore a lighter variant of the armour the Order's soldiers were equipped with. An ebony mask, featuring one lone, glowing, artificial eye shielded his face from view.

"I'm Prophet," the man stated, "but you probably guessed that already."

"Let us go you milk dri-" Vilkas exclaimed before literally being muted by Prophet's magic.

The others tried protesting to find they had also been muted, their words coming out simply as formless breath. Titus, still dazed by the constant mental torture he was experiencing, didn't mutter a word, simply welcoming the silence.

"God I hate Nords," Prophet sighed in annoyance. "You though Titus. I can stand you. I respect you."

Titus remained silent, not offering Prophet the power he wanted.

"No words in you then. No final words. Too bad. It would have made a mighty tale." Prophet raised his hand, using a spell on the drained Titus. He felt Prophet's power wrap around his mind, sending him into an unnatural sleep. "Enjoy your life one more time before your death."

* * *

-Kvatch, Cyrodiil, Twenty Years Ago-

_"Diomedes, take care of him now," Flavia pleaded, squeezing Titus's hand._

_"I will," Diomedes replied. "Now come on you."_

_Diomedes guided the young Titus outside, into the unusually quiet street. He threw him one of the wooden swords he had brought, aiming it where he could easily catch it. Titus fumbled it all over, eventually giving up and letting land ungracefully on the ground._

_"How did you not catch that?"_

_Titus grabbed the sword, lifting up off the cobbled ground, "I'm only five."_

_"Doesn't affect anything," Diomedes mocked. "Think fast!" Diomdes launched a swing at Titus, making sure it was easy enough for the youngster to block. It was simply parried away, wood clashing with wood. The two boys continued their juvenile clash of fun, occasionally pretending to be a famous warrior from history to make the whole thing even more exciting._

_"Can I play?" asked a boy standing near them, watching intently._

_"Sure, I'll go get another sword," Diomedes accepted, entering the house._

_The boy was around the same age and height Titus was. His light brown hair ran down to his shoulders and his sharp chin protruded slightly._

_Titus swapped his sword into his weaker left hand, offering the boy a handshake, "Hi, I'm Titus."_

_The boy returned the handshake, smiling gently, "I'm Quintus."_

* * *

-Kvatch, Cyrodiil, Fifteen Years Ago-

_Titus ravenously consumed the food before him like a starved wolf, polishing it off in mere minutes. Bouncing out of his seat, he rushed out through the door. Quintus stood, arms folded, leaning on one of columns protecting the forge. A wooden bow and a set of blunt practice arrows were resting by his feet._

_"So that's what you were talking about," Titus realised, eyeing the equipment with a wild glare in his eyes._

_"Yep. What are we doing with it then?" Quintus questioned._

_"I have an idea." Titus grabbed the bow and quiver and walked to the opposite side of the street. Pulling an arrow from the quiver, he knocked it back, aiming at the front door of his house. Lucia opened the door and was instantly greeted by an arrow to the forehead, slightly knocking her head back as it bounced away._

_"Titus!" the young girl screamed, her face turning every possible shade of red._

_"It could have been worse. It could have been an arrow to the-" Lucia's rage cut Titus off. She persistently chased him in circles, trying to teach her older brother an important lesson. Quintus watched from a few metres away, laughing excessively at the amusing goose chase taking place._

* * *

-Kvatch, Cyrodiil, Ten Years Ago-

_Titus, Quintus and Albus sat in the town square on one of the finely crafted benches. The three had been pulling silly pranks all day and had decided to take a not so deserved break._

_Quintus sat in the middle of the three, flipping his 'lucky coin' constantly. Albus leaned forward twiddling his thumbs as Titus sipped a bottle of mead they had supposedly 'borrowed' from the inn._

_"Hey Titus," Albus pointed out, "there's Morina."_

_Morina glided along close by with her perfect olive skin and blonde hair blowing daintily in the wind. Titus couldn't help but focus his gaze on her._

_"We know you like her," Quintus confirmed._

_"So what?" Titus mumbled._

_"Just wondering if I could help," Quintus grunted, intertwining his fingers together and stretching them in front of him. "I am the love doctor after all."_

_Titus sighed in disagreement in perfect synchronisation with Albus, who had his face deep in his palm._

_"Please don't say that again. Ever," Albus requested._

* * *

-Kvatch, Cyrodiil, Seven Years Ago-

_"Are you sure where you're going?" Marcius asked nervously._

_"Do you have everything you need?" Flavia added._

_"I'm eighteen. I'll be fine."_

_Marcius patted his son firmly on the shoulder, "You get going son."_

_"I'll write whenever I can," Titus said, hugging both his parents. Releasing his hold, he turned towards the front gate and his future._

* * *

_-_Imperial City, Cyrodiil, Six Years Ago-

_"Come on Borwen," Titus shouted, banging on the door, "we'll be late for class."_

_"She's always like this. Everyday the same," Jonah commented. He was a Redguard, a few inches taller than Titus. His shining copper skin along with his shaved black hair defined him. His muscle made Titus look like some weak peasant._

_"Give me a few minutes," informed Borwen, her voice being muffled slightly by the door and the wall._

_Titus and Jonah waited rather impatiently outside, pacing around, tapping their feet and huffing at the amount of time the Wood Elf was taking. Their boredom was finally relieved when she emerged from outside her room. Her long, braided, black hair ran down her back, contrasting the pale brown colour of her skin perfectly. Titus and Jonah made her look like a dwarf. She certainly wasn't known for her size. Her eyes glistened, almost resembling pure gold._

_"Let's get going then," Titus said, leading his two friends towards their lecture._

* * *

"Enjoy those sweet memories? Sweet sweet memories," Prophet patronisingly said, brandishing a dagger from his side.

Titus found himself strapped securely on a sacrificial stone altar, the play thing of the man stood before him. Behind Prophet was a soul gem, nearly as large as a fully grown man. It spoke in a deep, menacing voice, lighting up with each word it said, "Kill him and restore my personal influence on Nirn."

"I will master."

"So you're the master," Titus remarked.

"It doesn't mean anything to you," Prophet mocked. "You're a dead man anyway."

Prophet prepared to plunge the dagger into Titus's face, two hands gripped around the hilt.

"TIID KLO UL!"

With time slowed down and the dagger moving at the speed of an injured slug, Titus had time to wrestle with the leather straps, breaking their grasp on him, allowing him to escape his capture.

Prophet snorted in anger, sending a stream of lightning towards Titus. He barely had any time to block the incoming magic with his shield. He was sent plummeting onto the stone floor, overpowered by Prophet's magical ability. Striding towards him, Prophet conjured a bound sword, preparing to end him once and for all. Before Prophet could strike, Titus used his legs to kick him in the gut, sending him sprawling on the ground.

Forcing himself off the ground to carry on, ten of the armoured husks appeared suddenly as Prophet's protection. Charging forward, Titus danced the bitterly entrancing dance of death, flawlessly ending each of the warriors lives.

"I underestimated you. My master speaks highly of you," Prophet said, using his sword to assist him in standing back up.

Titus deflected the comment, focusing on the ensuing battle. That was when the voices started in his head, taunting him relentlessly.

"You can't win."

"Accept your fate and die."

"Give up Titus."

"You have no hope."

"It's over."

Titus bent over in pain, crippled by the assault on his mind. He was now utterly defenseless as he twitched, writhed and winced in agony.

"What's wrong? Can't control your own mind can you?" Prophet maliciously cackled, using his hidden strength and picking Titus up by the neck like a rag doll. "Who knew that the great Dragonborn's mentality would be his downfall? I certainly didn't."

"And who knew your arrogance would be yours." Titus, who had made his sword arm look spiritless in an attempt to deceive his enemy, thrust it into his chest, twisting it to add more satisfaction. Prophet released his grip on his Titus's throat, staggering back, clutching at the sword stuck deep within him.

"You have failed me," the master bellowed from the other edge of the room. "There will be a reckoning one day. It clearly isn't today."

"But master," Prophet pleaded, before his body disintegrated into a pile of ash.

It was done. The Order of the Black Diamond was no more. That word however hung in Titus's ear.

Reckoning.

* * *

Personal Comments:

It's over. The Order is dead. Yippee! Anyway, there's one more chapter to go before the big day. Just to let you know, there'll be about a week long gap between the time a post the next chapter and the start of the wedding arc because I'm going to Spain for a week. Plus, it's good time for me to finalise the plots of the wedding arc and the arc after. Not much else to really say, apart from **please** review, I love to know what you think. See you soon : D

Characters:

Morina: Titus's teenage crush. Might appear in a later story.

Jonah: One of Titus's university (college, whatever it is called in the TES universe) friends. Will appear in later stories

Borwen: One of Titus's university friends. Will appear in later stories.

Dragon Language Glossary:

TIID KLO UL: Time Sand Eternity (Slow Time Shout)


	27. Order of the Black Diamond Chapter 8

As Titus awoke, he was greeted with the unfamiliar feeling of someone hanging over him, forcefully opening his eyes.

"No signs of any more damage," Achille commented.

Titus wafted away the shaman's hands so he could better take in his surroundings. He was surrounded by the lush vegetation of the island in all its beautiful green shades. There was no sign of the gargantuan rock that once hung in the sky, leaving a mark on the natural canvas.

"What happened?" Titus wearily asked, still recovering from whatever had happened to him.

"Well," Aela explained, "we fought our way to the main chamber to find you collapsed on the floor with one of the biggest nosebleeds I've ever seen. We carried you out of the rock while it destroyed itself."

"Okay then."

"What's with all these nosebleeds?" Vilkas enquired. "There's got to be a reason."

Titus sat up, his legs stretched out in front of him, "I guess there's no reason to not tell you. Lately I've been having quite a few bad dreams. They've been getting worse ever since we got here. There's also been a voice in my head, calling to me, mocking me, all the time we've been here. I seem to get a nosebleed whenever it speaks to me."

Achille stood back up, rubbing his chin, intrigued by what Titus had just described, "Fascinating. I've never seen anything like this before."

"Do you think it had anything with this order?" questioned Farkas.

"I really don't have a clue," Titus gazed up into the midday sky, sighing deeply. "I just want to go home now. Forget this whole thing happened."

Titus's wish was answered when Odahviing landed close by, sending a thud throughout the ground, "This place is now cleansed and is in balance with the rest of the world. Whenever you are ready, I will take you back to Skyrim."

Achille pulled Titus upwards, giving him a strong handshake in gratitude. Titus patted him firmly on the back, his hand softly colliding with the fur he wore.

"It's been an honour," Achille stated, "and congrats on getting married."

"You can come if you want," Titus suggested. "You've helped us so much."

"It would be my pleasure."

With their goodbyes said, the Companions took to the skies atop Odahviing, returning to the harsh land of Skyrim.

* * *

Titus felt the welcoming heat of the small fire in the entryway as he tumbled through the door, relieved to finally be back home. It was time for a well deserved break. He just prayed nothing would happen before the wedding. After what he'd just gone through, Titus unrealistically hoped his days of saving the world were over.

Brutishly making his way into the main hall, he found Serana and Valerica sitting at the main table, chatting away like the best of friends. They both turned their heads towards him, both glad he was back.

"Valerica," Titus huffed, still drained from the events of the past few days. "What a pleasant surprise."

"You're back," Serana excitedly said, jumping out of her seat to give Titus hug, gently swaying from side to side. She slowly let go, returning to her seat, allowing Titus to slump his sword, shield and helmet in a corner and join them.

"What are you doing here?" Titus asked Valerica, leaning slightly to one side in his chair.

"I thought I'd come and check up on my daughter," Valerica informed, raising out of her seat. "I was just about to leave."

Valerica, accompanied by Titus an Serana, made her way to the entrance, turning to her daughter when she got there.

"Stay safe mother," Serana said softly.

"You too," Valerica replied, wrapping her daughter in her arms, kissing her on the cheek. She turned to Titus, giving him a light hug, "Keep my daughter safe."

"I made a promise to myself when I learnt of Serana's past."

Serana looked up at her fiancee, "What was that?"

Titus took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze, "That you were never alone ever again."

"Thank you Titus." Valerica pivoted away, leaving the house and the two lovers alone.

"Well that was unex-" Serana planted a passionate kiss on Titus's lips, completely cutting him off. It was better than talking.

She pressed her hands lustfully on his breastplate, "Gods I've been wanting to do that for a while."

"We can take it to the bedroom if you want?"

"Sure, Llewellyn and Lydia are out." She whispered in his ear, "Can you carry me there?"

"Of course." Titus carefully picked her up, causing her to let out an adorable little giggle. He kicked the door open, placing her back down on her feet in the bedroom, where she frantically undid his dragonbone chestplate, letting drop down on the floor with a thwack. She pushed him down onto the bed; nothing would get between them now.

* * *

Personal Comments:

That's it for this story arc. Hope you enjoyed it all. I know it was rather short, but it didn't fit that well onto the end of the chapter before. So, regarding the plans I have for after the wedding, I have five concrete ones so far. Just remember the titles are subject to change if I find one I like more. So here they are:

Power of Two: I keeping the plot of this completely secret until its release.

An Adventure to Falskaar: When Titus and Serana stumble upon Echo Deep Mine, they discover something hidden to the rest of Skyrim. A new island, more places to explore and more people who need the Dragonborn's help. It'll be an adventure for the books.

Behind Enemy Lines: General Tullius calls upon Titus to complete a mission covertly in the Summerset Isles, the home of the Thalmor. One fugitive, a Dragonborn and his wife, a team of specialist Imperial soldiers and the threat of causing another war. They'll have to be careful.

Prince of Plots: When Jarls, Thanes and all manner of important people go missing, it's up to Titus to solve what is happening as he avoids being abducted himself.

Dwemer Legacy: An archaeologist has discovered one of the most important finds in the history of Tamriel. Which just means there'll be trouble. Trouble for the Dragonborn to stop.

That's it for now. As always, please leave your reviews. And if you haven't reviewed yet or haven't reviewed in a while, I urge you to leave one, I really want to know what you think. Adios.

Dragon Language Glossary:

Odahviing: Winged Snow Hunter


	28. Now and Forever Chapter 1

The streets of Whiterun were full to the point of bursting with townsfolk, builders and guards, all helping with the layout and decorations for the wedding later in the day. Never before had so many people in one city come together for one wedding. It was practically unheard of in Skyrim. But this wasn't any normal person's wedding.

It was the Dragonborn's wedding.

As the people worked relentlessly outside to make the day as spectacular as it could be, Titus lay fast asleep inside Breezehome, oblivious to the world outside. He'd decided to try and get as much sleep as possible so he was prepared for the endless partying that would ensue during the night.

Titus let out a deep grunt as he grudgingly pushed himself out of bed. It had been a while since he had called the little house his home, meaning he'd forgot just how cosy the bed was. It seemed to want to keep him there all day. He would have happily agreed if it wasn't such an important day.

After slipping into some dull clothing, he plodded down to the main room, where Lydia sat, hands out in front of her, welcoming the warmth of the fire. She turned to face him, "You're finally awake. Gods your hair is a mess."

"You don't know what it's like having three crowns," Titus replied, trying unsuccessfully to flatten his hair back into its normal shape.

Lydia pointed to the table in the corner, "I just made your breakfast. It's over there."

Walking over to the table, he plonked himself down on the bench. In front of him was a bowl of steaming soup and a few slices of fresh bread. Dunking a piece in and ripping a chunk off with his teeth, he mumbled, "Thanks."

"Are you scared?" Lydia asked.

Titus gobbled down another bite before answering, "No."

The truth though was quite the opposite. Deep down, he was petrified. Not because he didn't want to marry. He loved Serana so much he couldn't even begin to fathom marrying anyone else. He was scared he'd get something wrong; make himself look like a complete fool. And with the Emperor himself attending, much to the shock of pretty much everybody, he really didn't want to make a bad impression.

"Are you sure?" Lydia pushed.

"Positive," Titus replied, still hiding his inside thoughts from his housecarl. This wasn't the first time he'd hidden his emotions. The Dragonborn showing weakness would just make the inhabitants of Skyrim doubtful in a land already riddled with trouble and strife. He didn't want them to believe their protector wasn't up to the job.

After literally inhaling his breakfast, Titus returned upstairs to inspect his wedding outfit. The black material was unmarked and the stitching was done impeccably. The white undershirt contrasted perfectly with the main suit.

Despite never really wanting to strut around in expensive clothing, Titus did like what he was going to wear. It was a good change for an even better reason.

* * *

"Morning Jordis," Serana greeted, shuffling out of her room in Dragonsreach. Titus had decided to let Jordis accompany Serana for the day to help her with anything she needed.

"Good morning," Jordis returned. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Surprise me."

Serana walked back into her room as she waited for Jordis to finish preparing breakfast. She sat down in front of the mirror, examining herself closely. Her hair literally looked like it had been combed by a troll. She had maids for that sort of stuff though, so she paid little attention to it. She gave her fangs a slight prod, checking they wouldn't randomly poke out of her mouth during the wedding. Now that would be embarrassing.

She began wondering how Titus currently. She guessed he'd probably scoffed his breakfast down and was now doing something relaxing or stress free. He'd constantly go on about the hardships of being an acclaimed hero, and after he told her of the voice in his head when he was in High Rock, she started worrying even more. He was a strange man at times, but that didn't matter. Titus was her man, and nobody else was changing that.

With nothing left to occupy her mind, Serana delved into a memory from eras back.

_"Coming mother," Serana said in her childish, girly voice, rushing back over to Valerica with a bunch of flowers in her hand._

_Valerica gently stroked her daughters soft hair. She was such an adorable little girl; petite and cute. Serana placed the flowers in her mother's basket along with the other ingredients they had collected. The basket was bustling with a variety of colours from a variety of different substances._

_"Come on now," Valerica guided, "back inside."_

_Serana skipped along to the door, entering the stone castle. Harkon stood there, arms folded, waiting for Valerica. When she entered, he stated, "I must speak with you." They walked off, leaving Serana all by herself in the corridor._

_Sabine approached, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder, "Come on then Serana."_

"Serana. Breakfast is ready," Jordis called.

* * *

"I usually don't get patrons this early," Hulda remarked, scrubbing the wooden surface of the bar with a ragged cloth. The cloaked figure sat before her tapped his fingers on the wood, creating a light tapping noise.

Hulda glared at him, confused by the awkward silence. She asked him, "What's your name?"

The man replied coldly with a single word, "Belial."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Guess who's back back back, back again-gain-gain, The Fezatron's back back back, so tell a mothertruckin' friend. Yeah. I'm back. Anyway... Wedding Time! So excited to finally be writing this. I had a full week in Spain of chillin' by the pool, getting bitten by who knows how many insects, eating all sorts of unhealthy food and shouting butter me toast whenever I went down a water slide. The only bad thing was that there was no internet : ( Which meant I couldn't update. Grr. I also learnt a phrase in Spanish, but it is a bit offensive, so I won't say it. And yes, I gave Titus three crowns because I have three crowns. It's a curse.

On a more important note regarding the story, I have decided to definitely do a SYOC story arc as a bit of fun. If you're interested, submit them to me through PM. I've also updated every chapter so far by removing mistakes. Mainly punctuation but I've also corrected some misspelled words and maybe added a new sentence or two. Doesn't mean all the mistakes are gone but it's better than a load. Please leave a review as well, they help keep me writing. And on that bombshell, knowing me The Fezatron, knowing you the readers, Aha!

Characters:

Belial: Will be expanded in later chapters.

Jordis: Your Housecarl when you become Thane of Solitude

Hulda: Owner of the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. Wants to retire and sell the inn.


	29. Now and Forever Chapter 2

Belial exited the inn to find the street adorned with people carrying, moving and placing all sorts of different decorations. He didn't pay any attention to it in the slightest. He wasn't invited to the wedding later in the day. Quite frankly, he wasn't bothered. He was there for one purpose and one purpose alone.

Walking down one of the side streets to the side of the Bannered Mare, he barged into a young man, who transporting a basket of flowers, with his shoulder, causing the man to scatter the flowers around their feet. Crouching down to the ground, the man began frantically collecting the flowers, scowling at Belial, "Watch where you're walking!"

Belial looked down at the young man, his face hidden by his hood and cowl. He asked the man in his mechanical sounding voice, "What is your name?" The question seemed to have no emotion behind it, like the person saying it wasn't alive.

"Sigurd," the man answered, finishing collecting the flowers an standing back up.

"I'm a friend of Caius," Belial informed. "I was told he was here."

Sigurd said, "You mean Commander Caius? As far as I'm aware he's in the guard's barracks near the front entrance."

Belial strided away, leaving Sigurd without a thanks or any form of gratitude, much to his disapproval. A guard who was watching close by approached Belial, clearly displeased by what had taken place. "Are you going to apologise to that man?" the guard sternly stated. Belial simply walked past and down another backstreet, making the guard chase after him. "Stop right there! I was talking to you!"

When the guard came around to the back of the house, Belial grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up. The force he was exerting one the man's windpipe made whatever he attempted to say come out as a low wheeze.

"Put me down," the guard ordered, grasping at Belial's hand. Belial tightened his grip in response. Drawing a dwarven dagger from his side, Belial thrust it into the guard's chest cavity, striking his heart and ending his life. Belial dropped the lifeless corpse onto the ground and then proceeded to strip him of his uniform. He needed a disguise for what he was going to do.

* * *

A rather pathetic sounding knock at the door gained Titus's attention. Opening the door, he found Vilkas and Farkas dressed in dark brown suits, looking like two poor puppies who'd lost their mother. Titus erupted in laughter, nearly collapsing to the ground. The sight of the two burly men in high class attire was utterly hilarious.

Vilkas raised his arms in protest and complained, "You have to wear one of these too you know!"

"Yeah, but I won't look like you," Titus chuckled. "You two look like children who've literally been forced into those suits and have decided to walk around all day trying to gain sympathy from adults."

"You're lucky we respect you Titus," Farkas commented. "Otherwise these outfits would be shredded up on the floor by now."

Titus let the brothers inside the small house. Lydia had gone to perform some jobs she wouldn't specify, leaving them alone in the house. Farkas and Vilkas sat around the fire, craving the relaxing warmth. Titus joined them, pulling up a chair and sitting in between them.

"Security seems a lot higher," Vilkas said, reflecting on his past observations. With the Emperor attending, which he and his brother were completely oblivious to, the security had been increased ten fold.

"The Emperor is coming," Titus informed.

Farkas and Vilkas gasped in shock. The news had seemed to hit them like a giant's club. "You mean Titus Mede II?" Vilkas rhetorically asked.

"Gods," Farkas added, "that preacher guy won't be happy."

"Oh, Heimskr," Titus said. "I swear he called me a Thalmor loving bastard under his breath first time I met him just because I'm an Imperial. I hate the Thalmor as much as any Nord."

"So," Farkas muttered, "can we-"

"If it's mead you're talking about brother then no," Vilkas argued. "I'm pretty sure Titus wants to be sober during the ceremony. And I don't want my drunk brother shouting profanities at the top of his voice."

Titus patted his friend on the back, "There'll be a time later in the day where you can get as drunk as you want."

* * *

Serana had returned to her room after eating breakfast with Jordis. They'd gone into some pretty in depth topics including what would happen it Titus turned evil. She knew he never would, but it was till amusing talking about it. But if he did, she'd make sure hell would come his way.

The maids would be here soon to begin preparations. She was dreading the young women coming and attempting to put who knows what on her face and tightening her dress so tight she had to work hard to draw in every breath.

A hand on her shoulder made Serana turn around to find Valerica standing behind her.

"Second time in a month," Serana said. "You really must be jolly."

"It's your wedding day," Valerica replied. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

"I wasn't really expecting the first visit, let alone the second," Serana sighed.

Wrapping her arms around her daughter, Valerica stated, "I'm always here for you."

"I find that somehow hard to believe," Serana thought to herself. She seriously doubted her mother'sc omment after the traumatic experiences she had been through. Maybe when her family were still together those words would have been believable. But they really weren't after everything that had happened. She considered one person to be always there for her. And that person was Titus, the man she loved.

Valerica moved a chair in front of her daughter, who sat on the bed and put herself on it. "Can you answer my question now?" Valerica asked.

"What question?"

"How will you make this work between you and Titus?"

Serana slowly licked her lips, resting her elbows on her thighs, "In anyway that it can." Serana blew out a deep breath, "Even if it means curing myself."

Valerica's eyebrows furrowed, "Really. After so long?"

"If it means it'll work."

* * *

Belial, now dressed in his stolen guards uniform, entered the guard's barracks. A lone guard sat a chair by the door, slowly munching on a piece of bread. Belial swiftly killed him by covering his mouth to muffle his screams and burying a dagger into his throat. Leaving the evidence for all to see, he marched into the room where Caius resided. He was currently scribbling away at a piece of paper, moving quickly from line to line. He moved his attention to Belial, "What do you want?"

Belial leaped across the fine crafted desk, pinning Caius up against the wall with his hand firmly across his mouth and his dagger pressed on his throat, drawing a slight amount of blood. "Now," Belial sadistically commanded, "listen to me very carefully."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hope you enjoyed that guys. I'm really not sure how many chapters to go until the big event. I know what I want to happen but it's just the case of how to fit it in. That and I do like cliffhangers (mine will never be as good as The Italian Job but I try my best). Also, updates might slow down slightly. The reasons are:

1. I'm planning on doing a Pacific Rim fic. If you enjoyed the film, make sure to look out for it.

2. The top football leagues are/have started up again. I do love my Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1. I don't know how many of you are actually into football so you may not understand what I'm saying.

Anyway, I'll make sure you get regular chapters whenever I can. I wouldn't just leave this fic hanging like that. And finally, please leave a little review. It's not much of your time and they are fun to read. Kwaheri (that means goodbye in Swahili).

Characters:

Commander Caius: Commander of the guard in Whiterun. Pointless apart from one Thieves Guild quest.

Sigurd: A young man who works at with Belethor at his shop.


	30. Now and Forever Chapter 3

Caius was barely coping with the extreme amount of pressure around his neck. Whoever this impostor was, he was incredibly strong. He couldn't even mount any sort of resistance. The stranger forcefully cleared his desk and slammed him down on it. He brandished four rope darts, using them to tie Caius down by dipping their pointed tips into the wood. Caius's attempts to call for help came out as quite rasps. His voice box would literally be ripped apart if he tried anything louder.

The stranger began to remove his guard's uniform, revealing a much different attire underneath. He wore a white and green outfit, presumably that of an assassin. His face was obscured by a hood and cowl and a half cape ran down his left shoulder. His belt featured two dwarven daggers and what Caius presumed were two leather holsters holding what looked like miniature dwarven crossbows.

"What's your name?" Caius coughed, his attempts at struggle ending in vain.

The man approached him, seeming to peer down into his terrified soul. "Belial," the man replied.

Caius continued to struggle, hoping someone would hear. Nobody, not even the guard in the barracks with him, who he didn't know were dead, came in to see what the commotion was. It was just him and Belial.

"When will the Emperor arrive?" demanded Belial, unsheathing a dagger and holding it to Caius's throat.

"Why should I tell you?"

Belial held up his free hand, summoning a strange magical energy. "We can do this the easy way," Belial said, "or the hard way. Make your choice."

Caius went through the thoughts in his head. He valued his own life greatly, as any man, mer or beast did. He didn't want to die. But at the same time, he knew if he told this Belial person the Emperor's whereabouts, that the Emperor would probably end up a dead man.

"I'll never tell," Caius answered defiantly.

"I don't need you to tell," Belia mocked. Moving his hand over Caius's face, he began coaxing everything he needed to know straight out of Caius's mind. Caius felt his memories duplicated in his mind and then one of those copies ripped away. He closed his eyes, trying to zone out of the ordeal he was going through.

When he eventually opened his eyes, he found a sight no man would normally, or should ever see. He didn't see Belial standing before him anymore.

He saw himself.

Belial had somehow managed to alter his appearance to match his own. In all his years of being a guard, he'd never seen anything like this before. And he'd seen some strange things in his career.

Approaching the sword displayed in the corner of the room, Belial removed it, running his fingertip along the blade. Moving over to Caius, he held the sword in one hand, preparing to use it. "Enjoy the silence."

* * *

Serana felt like she was being crushed by all the maids surrounding her. Balgruuf seemed to have brought in an entire pack of them to prepare her for the day. She was the bride after all.

With about three hours to go until the actual ceremony, Serana predicted it would take at least two hours for the maids to complete everything. There was certainly a lot to do. That and the young maids did like to take their time.

Valerica and Jordis watched from the corner of the room as Serana, who was unnoticeable in the swarm, was outfitted for later in the day.

"I remember my wedding day," Valerica reminisced. "They weren't nearly as meticulous as they are now."

Jordis asked inquisitively, "When was it?"

Valerica sighed deeply, "Let's just say a long time ago."

"In a land far far away," came Serana's voice distantly from the rabble.

The maids continued their work. They seemed to never tire, never give themselves a rest. And much to Serana's annoyance, they never gave her a rest.

The door opened. Belial walked in. He stared at Valerica and Jordis in the corner, his neck moving rigidly like a machine.

"Ah, Commander Caius," Jordis greeted. "What is it you need?"

Belial put on a kind, caring voice, masking his identity. "Do you know where Commander Maro is? He is the primary overseer of the Emperor today and I must speak with him urgently."

Jordis replied, "I think he's gone down to the main gate. The Emperor is arriving very soon."

Belial nodded in approval, promptly leaving the room, heading for his next kill.

* * *

"Look," Diomedes pointed out. "That's Whiterun. We're not lost."

Marcius gave his son a look of agitation, "I didn't say we were."

"Oh yeah you did," Diomedes complained.

Marcius and Diomedes sat in the front of their cart while Flavia, Lucia, Aelia and Ennius sat calmly in the back, listening to father and son squabble like two teenage girls.

"Would you two shut up!" Flavia screamed, finally losing her temper. Her angry attempt at defusing the situation didn't seem to help a bit. It just seemed to make it worse.

"I'm sorry but our son's directions are like a troll on skooma."

"We're here aren't we!?" Diomedes protested.

The cart moved along the cobblestone road, bumping up on the occasional loose or large stone. At least the weather was perfect for the wedding. There were only a few fluffy clouds drifting along. The sun shined bright and the air was warm. Hopefully it would be good in the night, when the real fun would begin.

They set the cart by the stables and made their way to the front gate. Numerous guards were stationed around, both local guards and the Emperor's own, the Penitus Oculatus. Their eyes seemed to be glued to them as they warily walked up.

Lucia whispered to her brother, "There's a lot of them."

"Trust me, there needs to be a lot," Diomedes whispered back. "The Emperor's coming after all."

When they reached the entrance, Aelia flashed their invitation at the guard standing by the gate, gaining them access. The city had now calmed down. They had finished the decorations in no time at all. Titus was leaning against the wall of the guard's barracks, talking with Commander Maro. Turning his attention to them, he said, "I thought you weren't coming."

As his family systematically gave Titus a hug and maybe a kiss each, Marcius explained, "Diomedes can't direct to save his life."

"What you saying?" Diomedes joked, giving Marcius a playful shove.

Flavia squeezed Titus in a massive bear hug, "You ready?"

Titus gently pushed away, "As ready as you can be."

Their reunion was interrupted when a guard burst out of the barracks. Maro placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "What is it soldier?"

"Commander Caius," the guard informed, still breathing heavily from shock, "is dead."

The news hit everybody around like a cascading flow of boulders falling from the Throat of the World. Titus thought privately to himself, "Why today!? This is meant to be a happy day, not a bloody funeral! When Serana finds out. She's probably waited for this day for thousands of years and it gets ruined like this. Why for gods sa-" Titus looked along the main street to see Commander Caius, alive and well, walking towards them. What the hell was going on?

* * *

Personal Comments:

Dun dun dun. There be a murderer at the wedding. A very mysterious murderer. Anyway, hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter will probably include the actual wedding. I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. Why you no allow us to do this in-game Bethesda!?

On another note, because it's the thirtieth chapter and it's the wedding arc, I've decided to do a shout out list. So a massive brofist to everyone on this list. You are all feztastic, fezulous, fezeriffic... Here we go:

Blindluck92  
LeliMor29  
Madgormley  
Matthias1708  
MissFabulous09  
Niar-Muse  
NomOmnisMoriar  
Paigiegirl7  
Shadowspeed2020  
SinisterAnarchist  
Slime In A Suit  
The Unholy Messiah  
The toast which got buttered (super massive brofist to you. IRL friends ftw)  
blueavatar  
brinsop  
deacon1217  
redvsblue28  
silverbug28  
thejackal2145  
timelady-13  
A Brick Wall  
Ace of Spies  
AsSafeAsSnape  
Blade Assassin  
ColdSteel94  
DiamondBro  
Gaz'at Dahl  
McKaye  
MyIreland123  
Niwen  
WolfGunn1331  
YezManTheAmateur  
giroro774  
mysterious gamer

Yep. You guys are the Fez Army. A massive thanks to you all, and if I could, I would give you all a custom signed fez. Maybe I could do that. Hmm. And that's it. Hope you enjoyed and leave a little review please. The Fezatron has left the building.

Characters:

Commander Maro: Commander of the Penitus Oculatus, the Emperor's personal guard. Involved in the Dark Brotherhood questline.


	31. Now and Forever Chapter 4

Belial approached the dumbfounded group, portraying no emotion on his face. Stopping in front of them for a few seconds, he observed them carefully, noting every feature. "What seems to be the matter?" he asked, staring specifically at the spooked guard who had just burst out of the barracks.

"Bu-but you're de-dead," the guard stuttered, not believing the sight before him.

"Bullshit," Belial stated, trying to stay in the role of the lawful Caius and not that of a disguised assassin.

"Well tha-that was what I saw."

"This must be some sort of sick joke," Commander Maro predicted.

"That it must be," Belial continued.

Titus approached the door of the barracks, "Commander Maro," Titus said before pointing to the haunted guard, "and you, let's see what's going on." Titus signaled for two guards to come and handle the current situation.

Entering the barracks, the men found the usual scene. The guard's equipment was neatly sorted out by the wall. A small table was pushed up to the other side. However, from one of the chairs was a trail of blood, leading into Caius's office. Following the clue, they found Caius's office with scrolls, ink and documents scattered across the floor. His personal sword had been removed from it's rack. The blood trail continued and ended at a barrel in the corner of the room. The lid had been removed by the guard who'd discovered the murder.

Reluctantly approaching the barrel, the men were greeted with a gut wrenching sight. Caius had been literally carved up, his body covered in slashes. His eyes had been forcefully gouged out. The guard forced himself not to look. Maro had covered his moth in shock. Titus had done the same and could have sworn he was nearly going to hurl his guts out.

"By the eight," Maro swore. "What kind of monster could have done such a thing?"

"Why Caius?" Titus wondered. "Why would he want to kill Caius?"

They had left the vile murder scene and walked into the front room. No man should ever have to see such a sight.

"He's an assassin," Maro stated. "Maybe Caius was his target."

"I don't think so. I think he was merely an obstacle that needed to be removed," Titus suggested.

"Maybe he wants to kill you?" Maro said.

"No," Titus replied, his eyebrows furrowing. "If I was his target, he would have attempted to kill me by now. His target must not be here yet. He's preparing an ambush."

The three men went deep into thought before the guard came up with, "The Emperor."

Maro and Titus looked at each other, startled by the strangely realistic suggestion.

"Shit."

Exiting the barracks, they found a scene much altered to how they had left it. The two guards now lay mortally injured on the floor with deep stab wounds oozing blood at an alarming rate. Diomedes and Marcius were trying to help them while the rest of his family stood in horror at the sight. Ennius's cries cold be heard throughout the entire city.

And Caius had gone.

Titus approached his brother to ask what had happened. "What the hell happened?" Titus screamed.

"I don't know," Diomedes explained. "A couple of seconds after you entered the barracks, everything went white. When our vision cleared, these two guards were on the floor bleeding badly and Caius had gone."

"Get these men to the Temple of Kynareth. It's just up there. You," commanded Titus, pointing at the guard, "I want you to notify every guard in the city, be on maximum alert. Any suspicious activity, they must deal with it immediately. Maro, you're with me. I'll just fetch my sword."

After fetching his sword from Breezehome and explaining to Lydia the current situation, Maro and Titus set out on their manhunt for the assassin. While Maro was in full uniform, Titus was simply wearing everyday clothes. If he had to put on his armour, he'd risk giving the assassin an unwanted advantage. And if this assassin was able to shape shift and blind people, then they needed every advantage on their side.

* * *

"Where the hell can this guy have gone?" Maro exclaimed

Titus and Maro stood in the square by the Gildergreen, perplexed at what their next move should be. How could they fight someone who can change his appearance at will?

"He can change his appearance," Titus replied. "You didn't expect this to be easy did you?"

"Well..."

Titus felt a presence creeping up on him behind him. He played dumb for a few seconds before turning around to meet his attacker. Belial, now back in his original form, tackled Titus to the ground before he could swing with his sword. The shock of the fall caused Titus to release his grip on his sword, leaving him completely unarmed to face his attacker. Maro took Belial by the shoulders and ripped him off Titus. Belial countered by flexibly sliding between Maro's legs and knocking him to the ground from behind. Belial pulled out his daggers, preparing to finish one of his opponents.

"Take this you bastard!" Titus launched an ice spike into Belial's shoulder. Belial flinched back, failing in his attack. Instead of finishing Maro then, Belial went for the easier option and kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold and leaving him useless for the rest of the battle. He pounced on Titus, winding him with his weight. He seemed to be all muscle after all. Belial hammered down with his fists. Titus was barely managing to block them. Each punch felt like it was nearly breaking the bones in his arms. His fists felt like they were plated with metal.

Titus kicked him off, sending Belial crashing onto the stone floor. Even his abdomen felt like it was plated with metal.

By this time, every civilian in the area had fled, leaving the Dragonborn and the assassin to fight it out. There were a handful of guards ready to jump in.

Belial's attempt to get up was squandered when the surrounding guards surrounded him and began seizing him by the limbs. Despite Belial being outnumbered five to one, his thrashing managed to hit every guard, literally forcing every bit of breath out of them and sending them on to the ground. The power of the kicks and punches the guards had experienced was comparable to the power behind a dragon's bite.

Titus had prepared his counterattack in this time, regaining his sword and preparing a fireball in his spare hand. When Belial stood up, he unleashed the fireball towards his face, staggering him back. When Belial recovered, Titus found his hood and cowl had been removed by the force and that his attire was burning slightly. This allowed Titus to get a perfect look at his features. Everthing about him was pale. His skin was as white as the freshest snow. His eyes matched this. His hair was also white and was styled in a tall mohawk. He couldn't have been a Nord. He could only be one thing.

A Snow Elf.

However, there was another alarming feature. The skin around the left side of his mouth and jaw had been burnt away by the fire, revealing not bone or muscle underneath, but dwarven metal, shaped like a proper jaw.

Belial pulled out two miniature crossbows from his side. Titus observed they were very similar to the dwarven crossbows the Dawnguard eventually manufactured. There was one modification. A drum magazine was attached to the top, filled with bolts packed together like prisoners eager to be free. These crossbows were fully automatic.

Belial unleashed his hailstorm of bolts upon his enemy, prompting Titus to take cover behind the stone pillar next to him. The bolts were firing at an uncountable speed. They were ferocious and hungered for blood. When the storm stopped, Titus broke from cover, his sword sheathed, and two fireballs primed in his hands. He bombarded Belial with fireball after fireball, sending him smashing into the stone wall, until he ran out of magicka.

Belial's clothes had now been burnt until they were just scraps. His skin had burnt away, revealing a full metal exoskeleton made of dwarven metal. It resembled a human in physical shape. The design was incredibly intricate, with the cogs and bolts which once moved now staying dormant.

Maro rose up, now conscious once again. He gazed at Belial's remains and asked, "What is that?"

"The assassin's remains," Titus answered. "He was a dwarven automaton."

Maro slowly took in the strange truth. "What do we do with it."

"I'm sure Calcelmo in Markarth would love a specimen like this. I'll get it sent to him. In the mean time," Titus began to walk off, "I have a wedding to attend."

* * *

The guests were entering through the grand doors leading to the Dragonsreach great porch, the same place where Titus had captured Odahviing a few years back. The place had been transformed dramatically. At least forty benches, twenty on each side, were lined up in two rows. A red carpet with golden patters ran down the middle from the door to where Titus was standing on the opposite side of the room. Maramal stood behind the altar and behind him was a curved stone wall, similar to the word walls dotted around Skyrim.

"Is it okay to be a bit freaked out now?" Titus whispered to Maramal.

"Yes my son. With some of the guests you have here even I'd be a bit terrified."

With his family sitting on the left side at the front and the Emperor sitting on the right side, Titus really didn't want to screw up. Those were the people he wanted to impress the most.

Most of the guests had arrived now and taken their seats, apart from one, very special guest.

"May I ask what this stone thing is for?" Maramal questioned pointing to the stone behind him.

"You'll see," replied Titus, smirking slightly.

A roar echoed through the air, causing some of the guest to start panicking slightly. That was when Laatkiinaak landed on the stone wall. Plenty of the guests were ready to leg it miles away before Titus calmed them down by saying, "Relax, he's the best man. Well... dragon."

"Why are these people so afraid?" rumbled Laatkiinaak.

"You are a dragon you know," Titus joked.

The room was silenced as the grand doors opened up. Serana slowly waltzed through with Valerica walking her down. It shocked Titus to see Valerica by her daughters side at this moment. She was wearing a medium length dress covered in a wide palette of blue. Titus however couldn't keep his eyes off his wife to be along with the people attending. Her pure white dress ran down to the floor, flowing behind her as she walked. She must have ditched the veil she'd talked about, allowing everybody to see her raven black hair that had been curled for the occasion.

She eventually reached the altar, standing side by side with Titus. Valerica took her seat next to Flavia. They'd decided to reserve her one in case she did attend. Everybody had their eyes on the couple, the men, the women, the children, the dragon.

Maramal spoke up, "Let's begin the ceremony." He took a large breath in, "It was Mara that first gave birth to all of creation and pledged to watch over us as her children. It is from her love of us that we first learned to love one another. It is from this love that we learn that a life lived alone is no life at all. We gather here today, under Mara's loving gaze, to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. May they journey forth together in this life and the next, in prosperity and poverty, and in joy and hardship." Then he asked the most important question. "Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?"

Serana looked softly into Titus's eyes, "I do. Now and forever."

Titus returned, "I do. Now and forever."

"Under the authority of Mara, the Divine of Love," Maramal stated, "I declare this couple to be wed." Maramal presented two rings, giving one to Titus and one to Serana. They gently slid them onto each other's ring finger, smiling at each other as they did. Titus took Serana in his arms, kissing her deeply in front of the entire crowd. Thunderous applause and the mighty roar of Laatkiinaak spouting fire created an atmosphere that couldn't be bested.

The now married couple walked back down the aisle, whispering to each other as they waved to the guests.

"Gods that was scary," Serana said.

"I must admit with the Emperor watching I was utterly petrified."

"Well, now that's over," Serana whispered, "it's time to party."

* * *

The night was still mightily young as the city celebrated the joyous event. The entire city had been converted into one massive venue, with everyone in the city there. In the planning, they'd decided to go for a sort of free roam layout, without any seating plan. That and there was one fabulously gigantic buffet.

Titus had managed to find his friends Jonah and Borwen back from his time in the Imperial City. They were busy chatting away as any group of friends would do after being separated for so long.

"Wait," Titus exclaimed in happiness. "You're engaged."

"Well yeah," Borwen explained. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

Jonah daintily kissed his fiancee, which seemed quite irregular due to his incredibly muscular form. He took another swig of his wine before bellowing to Titus, "Yeah it did." Jonah clumsily pointed behind Titus, informing him there was somebody behind him. Turning around, Titus found the other Titus at the wedding, Titus Mede II.

"I'd just like to thank you Titus," the Emperor thanked, "for taking down that assassin."

"I'm glad I managed to kill him when I did." Titus looked over to the scene of the fight from the steps up to Jorrvaskr. The people of Whiterun had pulled together to repair the damage perfectly in time for the wedding. "I wouldn't want him ruining the day any more than he did."

"I'm sorry about Commander Caius. He was a good man," the Emperor said quietly.

"We all are," Titus added.

The Emperor left just before Aela and Serana strolled in, arms around each other's shoulders and wine glasses in their hands. Much to Titus's surprise, Aela didn't seem to bothered about the crimson dress she was wearing.

"You two are drunk aren't you?" Titus rhetorically questioned.

"Yep, they look it," Borwen expanded. "But then again, so is this oaf." Titus knew she was talking about Jonah. She'd always used it as a playful insult since the very first day they met.

Serana broke off from Aela and came to Titus's side, giving him a peck on the cheek. "So are you giving a speech or something?"

"I was just about to."

Titus walked along with Serana to the stone around the Shrine of Talos, gently tapping on his wine glass to gain the crowds attention. He spoke loudly, "I'd just like to thank you all for coming. It means a lot to us." Titus carefully placed a hand around Serana's waist, pulling her in closer. "I won't let her speak because she's drunk and I don't know what she'll come out with." Serana playfully nipped Titus on the neck, getting an amusing reaction in the process. Titus continued, "Anyway, I'd want to start by remembering those who cannot be with us today. Those who died today doing their duty." Titus raised his glass in the air and said, "Let us remember Commander Caius and those noble guards who died today doing their duty protecting the Emperor, Whiterun and Skyrim."

The entire crowd raised their glasses with Titus to show their utmost respect. Titus continued, "It is you that have made this day so special. Without you, this day wouldn't be what it is." Titus turned to Serana, "I can't imagine being with anyone else. There is nobody else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. I love you." He kissed her in view of the entire crowd, getting a surge of sobs and cries of joy. He swore he heard his mother literally explode into tears.

Serana steadily moved away, staying in Titus's arms. She raised her glass high above her head and bellowed, "He's off the market ladies! Now let's get partying!"

* * *

A couple of hours had passed and the slow dance had come. Every couple surrounded the Gildergreen, swaying gently to the music performed by the bards. Titus swayed gently with Serana close to him. She whispered in his ear, "I've got something I need to talk to you about."

Titus nuzzled Serana's neck, mumbling, "What is it?"

"I want to get cured."

Titus looked into her eyes, "Are you sure you're not drunk."

"Well I am but it doesn't matter." Serana's forehead gently collided with Titus's. "I can't watch you grow old as I don't age a day. I just can't do it. I don't want to loose you." Tears started to slowly trickled down Serana's face as she thought of the prospect.

Titus wiped the tears away before pulling her further into his embrace, "Okay then."

* * *

Titus caught Serana as she collapsed. Falion had completed the ritual once again and had already started his journey back to Morthal. Titus cradled Serana in his arms, waiting for to wake up.

It was around midday the day after the wedding, and while both of them were suffering hangovers, they had to get this done.

Serana's eyes slowly parted. They were a deep, vibrant green. Titus gazed into them, entranced by their beauty.

Serana sighed, "I feel like I can breath again."

Titus brushed a few lone strands of hair out of her eyes, "You're eyes are so beautiful."

Serana leaned up, cupping Titus's cheeks and passionately kissing him. They were married and had the rest of their lives to look forward to.

* * *

Personal Comments:

Walah! There we go. They're finally married and now it's time to look forward to even more adventures for the couple. Starting with Power of Two. And I've finalised three other arc ideas. Their names are subject to change but these three will be in the order below, so here you go:

Child's Play: Trapped in the alternate reality inside a child's mind where Tamriel has been subject to the apocalypse, Titus and Serana must find a way to reverse what has gone wrong before this reality becomes truth.

Leaving the Past: Serana finally tells Titus the full story of her past to try and rid herself of her troubled experiences and move onward to the future.

Reckoning: The day of reckoning has come. The day nobody could have predicted. It'll take everything when in the face of certain defeat. And who said best friends aren't forever?

So there you go. Just to let you know, Reckoning **WILL **be the final arc. But there's plenty of stuff in between and I might even come up with some new ideas which I'll fit inbetween.

Oh yeah, for any of you wondering, Belial is my lore-friendly (sort of) version of the Terminator. Anybody pick up all those Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes I dropped in?

The dragon best man idea was an idea my mum came up with actually when we were in Spain. I though it was funny so I put it in : )

That's about it, so leave a little review please (especially because it's the wedding) and you'll have to wait for the next arc: Power of Two.

Characters:

Maramal: Priest of Mara and the person who performs the wedding ceremonies.

Dragon Language Glossary:

Odahviing: Winged Snow Hunter

Laatkiinaak: Last Born Guide


	32. Power of Two Chapter 1

Titus dug into the fine piece of venison on his plate. It was such a fitting meal for the final day of their honeymoon. For the entire two weeks they had been at the grand property situated on the Topal Bay, Titus and Serana had not been disturbed once. It was just them, alone in their little paradise.

"Too bad it's the last day," Serana moaned before sipping her wine. The two weeks seemed to have flown by quicker than the entire time since Titus had proposed up until the wedding.

"It's been a lot of fun though," Titus replied.

"In many different ways," Serana smirked. It was their honeymoon after all.

"I guess it's back to reality soon," Titus sighed, gazing around the almost surreal room. The entire building seemed like something out of stories. Throughout the building was a white and regal blue colour scheme, giving off an incredibly expensive vibe. Candles and chandeliers could be found anywhere you looked, giving the place a romantic atmosphere. A fresh smell filled any room you entered. With the place being so isolated, no sounds from nearby people could be heard. The occasional animal could be heard along with the crashing of the waves on the bay, but it wasn't distracting. It was background noise and gave the place character.

"Let's hope we don't get any more trouble for a while." Serana's wish was rather optimistic, but it was worth a shot.

"I doubt that," Titus chuckled, gawking at Serana's eyes. He found ever since she'd been cured of vampirism that he couldn't stop looking at her now human eyes. The brilliant green colour seemed to lock his gaze to them and not allow any escape. It didn't bother him though. Who'd want to stop looking at such beautiful things?

Serana leaned over the table to gently kiss Titus's forehead. Pulling back, she said, "I guess I'm part of the family now?"

"Yeah, you're now Serana Ravilla."

"Instead of Serana Volkihar," Serana huffed. "Finally." Serana paused for a couple of seconds before asking, "What is your full name Titus? Nobody seems to know it."

"Nobody knows it because I only tell those people closest to me. Those who I truly trust. It's a family tradition. My family knows it." Titus went tight lipped for a handful of seconds before continuing, "And so does Quintus. And now it is time for you to know it."

"Go on then."

"Titus Cassius Lupus Ravilla."

"Aww, that's such a cute name."

"Cute?" Titus spluttered, trying his best to keep his food down.

* * *

The evening sea breeze swept by Titus as he sat alone on the large balcony overlooking the sea. He had yet another glass of wine. Anymore and he'd be tumbling all over the place like a newborn deer looking to find it's feet.

"Hey, don't drink all of that now," said Serana, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Don't worry. I'm not that much of an alcoholic," Titus joked. Serana pulled up a chair next to Titus as he poured her a glass. She took a small swig, savouring the refreshing taste.

"It's one hell of a view," Serana commented, letting her head rest on Titus's shoulder.

"That it is. You don't get any good views of the sea back in Skyrim. Too much snow."

Serana rested her hand on her chest, feeling for the beat of her heart. "It's strange having a beating heart after so many years being a vampire."

"And it means you can enjoy the sun," Titus added, placing his hand over Serana's. "Some of my best childhood memories are of days out in the sun with the family."

"I've not really got any memories like that," Serana stated, looking deeply into Titus's eyes. "All my best memories are with you."

Titus replied by passionately kissing Serana. They slowly stood up, continuing their kiss as they did. He pulled her into his tender embrace. "You're my wife now," Titus muttered, steadily parting his lips from hers. "There'll be plenty more to come."

Serana came in closer, hugging up close to her husband. She spoke softly, "I'm just glad I've got someone like you. I feel like I've got a proper family now."

Titus responded, "And I'm glad I stumbled across you in Dimhollow Crypt. I don't know where I'd be without you."

* * *

The night had passed and gave way to morning, signalling the end of Titus and Serana's honeymoon. They had began their return earlier in the day, making their way back to Skyrim by the trusty cart. They had just passed the city of Leyawiin. The sun was beginning it's ascent to the middle of the sky. It would get there, slowly but steadily.

"I'm so glad I'm human," Serana said out loud. "Means we can travel whenever without any trouble."

"As much as I love you," Titus informed, "it was bloody annoying travelling at night. You can hardly see anything."

Serana chuckled before pointing to a figure on the side of the road, "There's somebody on the side of the road."

The cautiously approached. The man signaled for them to stop by holding out a hand. He was wearing a dull brown leather outfit accessorised with a cape. He was fairly muscular and around a foot shorter than Titus. His hood and cowl were pulled down, revealing his face. His skin was white, contrasting heavily with his red hair. His green eyes reminded Titus of Serana's eyes.

"Who are you?" Titus enquired.

"Kylar," the man answered. "Kylar Savarre."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Yep. New arc, two heroes. I know this chapter was a little short but I wanted a cliffhanger. Regarding the other hero, Kylar is the main character in The toast which got buttered's fanfic,** The adventures of Kylar the dishonoured assassin**. If you haven't read it, please go read it. I'll give you an internet cake (and no, it is not a lie... okay maybe it is but I'm trying to promote here). Because we're IRL friends, we pretty much decided to do a Titus/Kylar arc from day one. He's also appeared in **Dark Light and Bright Shadows **by MissFabulous09. So go check that out as well if you haven't because she's a really good writer.

So there isn't much left to say apart from I hope you enjoyed an please leave a review. I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Kylar: A former Imperial assassin who is put to the chopping block by his superiors. The toast which got butterd's OC. Will be expanded in later chapters (if you want to know more about him, read the fic he's in)


	33. Power of Two Chapter 2

"What do you want?" asked Titus, looking towards Kylar, his face dominated by confusion. Kylar approached them confidently.

"Can I have a ride lass?" Kylar requested, his attention focused on Serana. She gave him a slight glare, also copied by Titus. However, his was a lot more serious and threatening. "No need to be like that," Kylar said in a slightly higher tone of voice. "I was just trying to be friendly."

"Don't try anything," Titus warned. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know really," Kylar stated, rubbing his chin. He had a strong nordic accent with a hint of what Titus could only recognise as Bryjnolf's voice. "Riften."

"Hop on then," Serana said reluctantly, clearly not impressed by Kylar's little flirt.

Kylar walked around to the back of the cart and pulled himself up. He found a snug spot in between the various goods now surrounding him. They seemed to be constricting him, preventing him from trying anything else, much to Titus and Serana's joy.

Titus flicked his wrists to get the horse to continue. It started pulling them along the stone and dirt pathway and closer to home. Kylar felt himself bounce around into many different objects, some making him want to moan in protest, but he managed to hold it in. After his failed attempt at flirting with Serana, he guessed he wasn't in their good books. Not yet at least. He was sure he'd be able to use his charisma and charm to win them over.

"What were you doing on the road?" Serana turned around to face Kylar, who looked rather uncomfortable squished up in the back.

"Long story really," Kylar began. "Me and my group of vigilantes were partying. Gods Mathieu can get through garlic bread. We'd brought one of the members back from the dead." Kylar took a breath to continue speaking. "Me, Cilila, Sia, Lloyd and his werewolf pals, Mathieu, Mychaellis and Fllin, we were all going at it like Imperials to the Thalmor's arses. The day after, my lady Nocturnal called on me, summoning me to the Twilight Sepulcher. I went, fell unconscious and here I am now."

Titus took offense to Kylar's simile. He didn't voice his opinion, but instead asked, "What is it you and your vigilantes do?"

"We do a necessary job," Kylar informed. "We fight the Imperials and the Stormcloaks."

"Why do you need to fight the Stormcloaks when Ulfric is dead?" Titus stared at Kylar, puzzled by his last statement. Titus had ended Ulfric's life personally and had ended the Stormcloak rebellion. Why would Kylar need to fight them?

"Ulfric is dead," Kylar bellowed. "The bastard died by my hand."

Titus eyes widened has the seeds of confusion were slowly planted in his mind. Turning to Serana, he found she was just as perplexed as he was. "I killed Ulfric," Titus countered.

* * *

The night had descended upon Tamriel, damaging visibility and making it more treacherous to travel. Due to this and the fact that they all needed some rest, Titus had decided to set up camp in a small clearing, around the size of a small town square.

Setting up their temporary residence had been rather easy, especially with another pair of hands to assist with pitching the tents. The two tents, the larger one Titus and Serana usually used and the spare tent, which was considerably smaller, hugged the fire.

Kylar, clearly shattered after whatever had happened to him, had chosen to try and get some much needed sleep, leaving the now married couple sat side by side around the fire. Despite only knowing him for a handful of hours, Titus and Serana were glad to have some more time to themselves. His first impression to them certainly wasn't amazing.

Serana leaned into Titus's side and softly whispered, "Something's not right here is it?"

"You're right." Titus transferred his gaze to Kylar in his tent. "He thinks he killed Ulfric. I killed Ulfric."

"He doesn't think it," Serana corrected. "He knows it."

Titus moved his hand to place it around Serana's shoulder before giving her a calm kiss on the cheek. "It really sounds like he's been on the skooma."

"Perhaps," Serana joined Titus by looking over at Kylar. "I wonder who all those people he talked about are?"

"His," Titus raised his hands in the air, moving his fingers to represent quotation marks, "vigilantes."

Kylar craned his neck upwards, looking at the two people sat conversing around the fire. "You woke me up," Kylar complained. He grudgingly wiggled his way out of the tent and sat around the bright fire. "So what were you talking about."

"Nothing important," Serana lied. "We were just talking about the future."

"Okay then," Kylar said, suspecting something slightly suspicious. He drew one of his specially crafted daggers and began sharpening it, trying to occupy himself.

"Why do you want to go to Riften?" Titus enquired. "You're all the way down here."

"I was born there," Kylar answered. "It seems like a fitting place to go to. Why are you all the way down here though?"

"We were on our honeymoon," Serana replied, lightly hugging Titus.

Kylar congratulated them, "Congratulations to the both of you."

Serana slowly pushed herself up off the ground, stretching heavily and yawning loudly. "Goodnight."

"I guess I'll go back to sleep now," Kylar remarked.

"As will I," Titus added, standing up.

Serana walked into the tent behind Titus, rolling down the cover of the entrance. They both snuggled into their bedrolls to get as much comfort as possible. After a handful of minutes, they were both in deep sleep, preparing for the days of travelling ahead.

* * *

_I noticed a sinister figure in the mist, mocking me as with his golden eyes. It was the familiar outline of Quintus; a silhouette I would never forget. The mist suddenly became as cold as the mind of a killer, creeping in on my mind. I heard him speak to me, his voice splitting the mist._

_"Reckoning."_

_"Reckoning."_

_"Reckoning."_

_Titus sharply exhaled as he leaned upwards, awakening from the creepy dream. The now usual cold sweat ran down his face. It seemed like each drop was in a race with the others._

Serana turned over to face Titus, forcing her eyes open. "More dreams?"

"I thought I'd got rid of them," Titus sighed, burying his face deep into the palm of his hand. "I just can't seem to escape them."

Serana gave him a warming smile, "Are you okay?"

"No I'm really not. It feels like my mind is being dismantled piece by piece. One by one."

* * *

Personal Comments:

That's the chapter done. I'm sorry these past couple of chapters have been a bit short but they are buildup/filler chapters. I'm going to say now that updates may slow down slightly. One reason. School. Ugh. Well not just that, but the school I go to looks like a prison with overly bright colours that don't really work together. It does mean however that I'm able to discuss the arc with The toast which got buttered everyday in person. We did try Skype (and we'll be Skyping for at least part of the chapter when I write it), but we found all we really did was pull silly faces at each other, do Herbert the Pervert impressions and just generally mess around.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed and wait for the next chapter : )

(I'm not listing the characters Kylar mentioned. If you want to know about them, read his fic)


	34. Power of Two Chapter 3

"Just up here," Titus pointed out, gesturing up the hill they were ascending. He wan't entirely sure whether Kylar's mind was intact and perfectly functional or one iron ingot short of a sword, so he decided to remind him.

"I do know we're nearly there," Kylar replied, feeling rather patronised. "This is my home."

The fact Kylar knew what he was doing was quite disturbing. He seemed to live in his own little reality. If something had happened to his mind, it would explain all the comments he'd been making. However, he seemed perfectly fine, which just made the situation all the more confusing.

After leaving the cart by the stables, Titus and Serana calmly got off, contrasting heavily with Kylar who literally flung himself off the back in anticipation. The guard allowed them entry, allowing them to walk inside the city walls together.

"So where do we start?" Serana enquired, with a slight tone of 'piss off you stranger' and another, more hidden tone of 'leave me and my husband alone you flirting skeever dropping'.

Kylar didn't pick up Serana's subtle tone of voice and answered, "Haelga's Bunkhouse."

Walking around the corner, they entered the building. Haelga looked towards them. Her face immediately soured at the sight of them. "Not you again," she complained.

Kylar was just about to protest before Titus spoke up, "You know what I did was right. Besides, I'm not the one who has business with you."

Finding a chair to sit on around the table, Titus along with Serana sat down, letting Kylar say what he needed to say. He approached Haelga and casually rested both his hands on the wooden surface separating them. She stared at him cautiously, "Can I help you?"

"Come on Haelga," Kylar said friendly, "you can drop formalities. We've known each other for long enough."

"What are you on about?" Haelga backed away slightly, fearing Kylar's motives. She'd never seen this man before and he just came in like they'd known each other for years.

"You know me Haelga," Kylar kindly stated. "It's not like we're meeting for the first time."

"But we are."

A couple of metres away, Titus and Serana both watched the unfolding scene. Titus couldn't get the dominant feeling of confusion out of his head. Kylar seemed so confident and was acting like he'd know Haelga for years. Haelga certainly didn't seem to be acting that way.

Meanwhile, to Titus's side, Serana was barely managing to hold in her laughter. She'd not taken a liking to Kylar, especially after his failed attempt at flirting with her. To see him make a fool of himself was a strange form of payback.

Serana just managed to surpress the urge to laugh so she could whisper to Titus under the conversation Kylar and Haelga were having, "Why wasn't she pleased to see you again?"

Titus quietly answered, "She has a servant called Svana. I began talking to her one day when she told me Haelga worships Dibella. Apparently whenever she slept with a man, she'd give them a token... I don't know why, but I'll continue. So I went around regaining some of them, presented them to her and now she hates me because I embarrassed her."

"I would've loved to that."

"It was rather satisfying," Titus remarked, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"WHAT!" Haelga exclaimed. Her glare moved over to Titus, She angrily pointed a finger at him and bellowed, "You little shit! What have told him!"

Titus informed, "I haven't told hi-"

Serana erupted from her seat and met Haelga's glare with own. "Don't you talk to my husband like that you damn whore!"

Titus and Kylar backed off towards the door to prevent themselves from being trapped in between what was about to ensue, their eyes fixed to the scene.

"Gods she's a feisty lass," Kylar commented.

Titus chuckled slighty, "She can be like that sometimes."

"If I may say laddy," Kylar said, "you've got a fine woman there."

Titus gave him a strange look before replying, "What makes you say that?"

"Well she's smart, loyal, good looking..." Kylar's list of complements was ended when Serana moved them both out of her way as she exited through the door. She was swiftly followed by the two men. They were met with the scene of Riften in the late afternoon. Business had died down, with only a handful of people left roaming the streets. A soothing breeze swept in gently from the west.

Kylar felt uneasy with both two gazes set on him, both trying to force an answer out. He switched his attention from Titus and then Serana and then Titus again.

"Well that went well," Titus sarcastically commented, clearly not pleased with the time that had been wasted.

"I don't know what happened," Kylar pleaded.

"Well I think I do," Serana retorted. "Personally, I think you're a bit insane."

Kylar dived deep into thought, leaving Titus and Serana without a reply. Titus began tapping his foot to try and offset his frustration. It was just working. Just.

"I have an idea," Kylar said hopefully.

* * *

"This place smells disgusting," Serana shouted, pinching her nose as hard as she possibly could to keep out the stench.

"This is The Ratway. It's should be expected," Kylar muttered.

Of all the places Titus never wanted to return to, The Ratway had to be one of the worst. It was the home of thieves, low life scavengers, the rejects of normal society. The place, just like Serana had said, smelled vile. Some of the smells were too horrible to begin describing.

Kylar led them along the route heading towards the underground tavern: The Ragged Flagon. Titus had been there before when he'd been looking for Esbern. It was again another place he'd rather not revisit.

Kylar barged through the door, eager in his search. Titus and Serana followed behind. Kylar paced over to the bar, looking for his target. The bar seemed relatively busy. Well as busy as an underground bar for thieves could get.

"Brynjolf!" Kylar approached the Nord clad in black leather.

Brynjolf span around on his bar stool, looking over Kylar's shoulder towards Titus. "So you've finally reconsidered."

"Brynjolf?" Kylar said, trying to gain his attention.

Brynjolf looked at Kylar like he'd never seen him before, "What can I do for you lad?"

"It's me," Kylar began, "Kylar."

"Well hello there Kylar."

Kylar eyes widened in utter amasement, "You don't remember me? I'm like your son."

"What the hell are you on about laddy?"

Kylar glanced at everyone around the room, "Vex? Delvin? Dirge? Vekel? Why does nobody remember me!?"

* * *

Personal Comments:

Sorry for a slightly longer wait than usual (either that or I've lost track of time), I explained last chapter that updates might slow down slightly. Well, I hope you enjoyed lads and lasses.

Apart from that, there isn't much left to say. So please leave a review and um... sib ntsib dua (I let you find out what language that is, it doesn't translate perfectly into goodbye either so... yeah)

Characters:

Haelga: The owner of Haelga's Bunkhouse (makes sense really) and a devout follower of Dibella *coughslutcough*

Vex: Member of the Thieves Guild who gives you jobs to do.

Delvin: Member of the Thieves Guild who also gives you jobs to do. Will also renovate the new Dark Brotherhood sanctuary when needed.

Dirge: One big bouncer. Very blunt personality. He'll either leave you alone... or bash your skull in. You choose.

Vekel the Man: The bartender in The Ragged Flagon.


	35. Power of Two Chapter 4

"What are you on about?" Brynjolf stared at the red haired man in front of him, perturbed by what he was saying. Whoever this person was, Brynjolf knew he'd never seen him before in his entire life. The man had strolled in and had began talking like they'd known each other for a long time, which certainly wasn't right.

"I-it's me," Kylar stuttered.

For Titus and Serana who stood a few paces away from Kylar, the whole thing seemed to be turning into one massive waste of precious time. Time they could have used to relax, have fun or do something more... private.

"I'll go get Mercer," Vex informed. "Maybe he knows who this man is."

"Wai-wait," Kylar breathlessly said, "Mercer is alive!" Kylar utilised a quick burst of speed, heading in the direction of the door leading to the Guild's headquarters. Brynjolf and a few other Guild members formed a barricade with their bodies to hold him back. Kylar struggled to break through, but despite his strength, there wasn't a chance. He was outnumbered. In his attempt to break free, Kylar began unsheathing one of his daggers.

Thwack.

Titus smashed his armoured hand into Kylar's temple, causing him to blackout. He'd noticed Kylar pulling out his dagger just in time and had acted on instinct.

Kylar crashed down onto the floor, relieving the pressure on Brynjolf and the others. Nearly everybody in the vicinity circled around, gawking at the strange man who'd walked in like he knew everybody there.

"What in the name of bloody hell," Brynjolf swore, wiping a small bead of sweat from his forehead.

Titus kneeled down, flipping Kylar onto his back, "That's the second time now."

"Second!" Brynjolf exclaimed. "Not even the strongest skooma can make people do stuff like this."

"If he was a skooma addict," Serana added, releasing one of her arms from their folded position to complement her point, "then he'd wouldn't be acting normal... well sort of. He seems to handle himself just fine, he just thinks everybody knows him when they don't."

"What are you going to do with him?" Brynjolf asked. "From what I've seen, he needs locking up."

Titus lifted Kylar up and slung him over his shoulder, "I'll take him to the dungeon and question behind bars. For everybody's safety."

* * *

Kylar felt the uncomfortable feeling of a prison bed underneath him as he slowly began regaining his consciousness. It was a feeling he'd hoped he wouldn't feel again. It was a hope that had just been shattered.

Removing his face from the straw it had been buried in, he saw the mighty sight of Titus, still fully armoured, with his arms crossed, looking straight towards him. The smaller shape of Serana stood beside him, along with three Imperial Guardsmen.

Forcing himself upright, he rose out of bed and met Titus's gaze. He rushed forward to the steel bars, gripping them firmly and demanded, "Why have you locked me up you double crossing bastard!"

Titus let the insult wash off him and answered, "So I can question you. Once I know what I need to, I'll let you go."

Kylar spat, "And what gives you the permission to lock me up?"

Titus continued his stern pose, "I'm Legate Titus of the Imperial Army."

Kylar took the news negatively. His face immediately turned to one of disgust. He lunged forward, grabbing Titus by the collar and pulling him towards him so he had him pressed against the cold metal. "Why!? Why do you serve those traitorous dogs!?"

Serana grabbed Kylar's wrist and dug her nails in, causing him to release his grip. Kylar wrapped his other hand around his minor wound. He gave Titus distinct but serious look, "Do you know what it is like to fail? What it is like to be sent to the chopping block for one mistake?"

"I've been sent to the chopping block before. I was so close to having my head removed." Titus took a slight step back.

Kylar moved over to one of the cell walls and leaned against it to begin telling his story, "I used to be the best assassin the Imperials had. I did whatever General Tullius wanted me to do." Kylar took a small pause and sighed before continuing, "It gave me purpose. My childhood was a nightmare. My parents dead, then my adoptive parents dead; all my life had been living in the shadows, stealing what I needed. One day, I was given one of the most important jobs of my career. Assassinate Ulfric Stormcloak. I failed. And they sent me to the chopping block for it. That's why I fight. Day in day out. To free Skyrim from two corrupt forces each with their justified reasons."

Titus had listened intently to what Kylar had said, and asked him one thing, "That still doesn't explain why you seem to think everybody knows who you are."

"I know all of them. Brynjolf taught me everything I know ever since I was sixteen. The stuff I do with Haelga is um... worship. Vex was my girlfriend at a time. I honestly don't know what has happened."

"So what are you going to do?" Serana enquired.

"I really don't know," Kylar pitifully said. "I guess we'll see."

One of the guards approached the gate and brandished a key. He placed it in the lock and twisted it to the right. The metallic click sound signified Kylar's freedom. He stepped outside, face to face with Titus.

Titus offered a handshake, "I've rented you a room at The Bee and Barb. Hopefully we'll be able to solve whatever is going on."

Kylar took Titus's hand, "Thanks."

* * *

Kylar found himself surrounded by the eternal black, the friend of the Nightingale. His mistress appeared before him, dressed in flowing black robes with a raven perched on her shoulder.

"My champion, you're needed," Nocturnal spoke.

Kylar bowed before his mistress, "Where my lady?"

"The sepulcher of darkness, twilight, the birth of the Nightingale."

"Why my lady?" Kylar questioned. What his mistress had just said would have been heavily encrypted to anyone else, but not him. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Only you hold the answer, unless fate decides," Nocturnal informed as she eventually faded into the void.

Kylar let the information solidify in his mind before whispering to himself, "Ok."

Kylar awoke immediately, abiding by his mistress's commands. He eagerly began kitting up in his Nightingale garb. Whatever needed to be done, needed to be done as soon as possible.

"I wonder how Titus and Serana will react to this."

* * *

Personal Comments:

That's that chapter done. I'm just going to say that this chapter was probably one of the most fun to write. Not because of the content, but because me and The toast which got buttered were in Skype for two thirds of me writing this and we were constantly doing all sorts of strange stuff such as: fanboying over jog bottoms, pulling strange faces, unrustling our jimmies (there is no need to be upset) and deciding my dad's new nickname is Colonel Sanders. Yeah, we're two strange guys.

Okay, please leave a little review (because you're awesome) and wait for the next chapter XD

Mercer Frey: Leader of the Thieves Guild. Secretive and also quite the arse.

Nocturnal: Daedric Prince and patron of thieves.


	36. Power of Two Chapter 5

Kylar rushed out of his rented room, down the stairs leading to the bar and out through the double doors leading outside. He continued on through the dark night, crossing the bridge leading to Honeyside, Titus's property in Riften where he and Serana were staying. He repeatedly smashed his knuckle against the wooden door, attempting to gain their attention. After a handful of seconds waiting, the door opened. Titus stood there in his nightclothes, clearly not impressed by the interruption to his sleep.

"What is it Kylar?" Titus moaned. "It's two o'clock in the bloody morning."

"I had a dream you may want to know about," Kylar promptly answered.

Titus sighed before complaining, "We all have dreams."

"Yeah but this one meant something."

Titus finally relented and allowed Kylar inside the small house. He sat down on one of the chairs close to the unlit fire, closely followed by Titus who took the other chair.

"So what was it?" Titus asked unenthusiastically.

"I don't think you'd really understand," Kylar said, "but I think we need to go to a place called the Twil-"

"Surely it can't be morning already?" Serana questioned, leaning up from under the fancy bed covers.

"No it isn't," Titus replied.

Serana reluctantly joined them. She shuffled out of bed and waddled behind where Titus sat, gently wrapping her weary arms around him. Kylar waited for her to finish moving before continuing.

"As I was saying, I think we need to go to a place called the Twilight Sepulcher."

Titus and Serana pondered on what Kylar had just told them. Neither of them had ever even heard of the place, let alone what it was or what was inside it. That and they still didn't fully trust Kylar yet. They'd only known him a short time and after seeing what had happened involving him, they were highly skeptical.

"Okay then," Titus said. "What and where is it?"

"The Twilight Sepulcher," Kylar began explaining, "is a Nordic tomb situated in Falkreath hold. It contains Ebonmere, the portal to Evergloam."

Titus lifted himself out of the chair, "You can never trust dreams. They're cryptic. Besides..."

"You still don't trust me do you?" Kylar now sat staring at Titus with his arms and legs crossed. It made Titus feel uneasy, but he'd dealt with worse. A lot worse.

Serana went in bluntly, "After what happened yesterday, we don't really."

Kylar looked away. Nothing seemed to be going right for him. Nobody seemed to remember him. Nobody believed him. And now the only people to show him kindness were starting to not believe him as well.

Titus gave it a good run through in his mind. Kylar seemed to be a good man. Whatever was going on must have some sort of explanation, however strange it appeared to be. But it was becoming harder and harder to believe him.

"Fine," Titus decided. "We'll set off in the morning. But this is your last chance."

* * *

The group stood in front of the ancient engraved door leading into the Twilight Sepulcher. The sun would set in a couple more hours. The quicker they could make their way through this place, the better.

"This is it," Kylar introduced.

Kylar walked inside, quickly followed by Titus and Serana, both somewhat eager to see what would happen. Inside they found a grand but dim room, with a wide set of stone steps leading up to a Nordic style archway and further into the tomb. A ghost wearing the same attire as Kylar approached them from the top of the steps.

"What is it that you want?" the ghost asked.

"Gallus." Kylar seemed entranced by the ghostly figure, like he was witnessing a miracle.

"Servant of Nocturnal, what is it you want?"

Kylar snapped out of his daze before informing, "I must speak with Nocturnal." He murmured under his breath, "Another one who doesn't remember me."

"I must warn you, without the Skeleton Key, many Nightingales have lost their connection with Nocturnal and will attack you on sight. Soon, I will too." Gallus faded away, leaving Kylar, Titus and Serana with their job.

* * *

Titus span out of the way of the Nightingale who had just lunged at him with two ghostly daggers. He swung his sword deep into the apparition, ending its unearthly existence. Another ghost came for him and clashed his sword with Titus's. Serana came from behind and took it ankles with her dagger before finishing it with a well placed stab.

Kylar weaved in and out through the multiple spectres, swiftly finishing them with his dual daggers. Fighting his dead brethren seemed unusual, but for now, they didn't serve their mistress, so it didn't matter. He felt a chilling presence behind him. He instinctively slashed behind himself, catching yet another ghost with a fatal strike. His eyes immediately locked onto a phantom charging on the other side of the room, heading straight for Titus. And Titus didn't know anything about it.

Kylar removed his bow from his back and knocked an arrow back quicker than he'd ever done before. He used his time perfectly, aiming the shot straight towards the head. He fired. The arrow struck the ghost straight in the side of the head, killing it instantly.

Titus turned around to see what had happened. He noticed Kylar on the opposite side of the room with his bow in hand.

Kylar had just saved Titus's life.

Titus gave him a quick wink. Kylar couldn't return it with his cowl and hood up, but he acknowledged it before returning to the fight.

* * *

After a long and challenging run of puzzles, battles and killing, Titus, Kylar and Serana finally reached the portal room. The circular room showed no activity. Nocturnal wasn't recognising one of her Nightingales was there.

"This isn't right," Kylar bellowed. "My mistress should realise I'm here."

"Maybe she doesn't know who you are," Serana joked.

"Ha ha very fu-" Kylar clutched his head in agony. Some strange voice spoke to him:

_Help aak me arg_

_Cap-akk-tured in aghh_

_Aetherius aak arg agr_

Titus helped Kylar back to his feet, keeping him upright after his sudden outburst. "What was that?" Titus asked.

"I think it was Nocturnal," Kylar spoke. "She seemed to be in pain. She has been captured," Kylar took a long pause before finishing, "in Aetherius."

* * *

Personal Comments:

And now things are getting interesting. Yay! Well, I hope you enjoyed. This chapter, unlike the other, was one of the more tedious ones to write, not because I didn't enjoy writing it, but I hurt my middle finger today during basketball, so it's quite painful to bend it or put large amounts of pressure on it. Poor me. But it hasn't stopped me from updating, so it's all okay (apart from if the injury is somewhat serious : ( )

Enough about my finger and onto writing related subjects. I'm actually thinking about starting a incompletely original story on FictionPress. It's a Sci-Fi/Dieselpunk genre and I'd love to involve you, the almighty Fez Army in it (because you're all feztastic). So if any of you want to submit a name or character, either tell me in a review or PM me.

Apart from that, please review and wait for the next chapter; when stuff gets fun.

Characters:

Gallus: The former Guild Master of the Thieves Guild. Murdered by Mercer Frey. Was also romantically involved with Karliah.


	37. Power of Two Chapter 6

Kylar stood there, still slightly dazed by the sudden intrusion of his mind. The mental attack caused a small spree of small vomiting fits, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was what Kylar had just mentioned.

"Aetherius?" Titus asked. "The realm of the Aedra."

Kylar straightened himself out before shaking thoroughly shaking himself down. He moved over to the centre of the dormant portal, placing his hand softly on the carvings. "What's wrong mistress?"

Serana walked towards Titus so they stood shoulder by shoulder. She slowly leaned into him, coming into contact with his blood stained armour. It didn't bother her though. She'd had worse in her life, and while she'd decided to try stay away from blood whenever she could, in her mind love came over petty choices.

"What now?" Titus looked towards Kylar, who was still crouched down on the portal. He was beginning to feel sorry for the bright red haired fellow. Nothing seemed to be going his way.

Kylar unbent his legs before turning to face the couple. "We go to Aetherius and save Nocturnal."

Serana's eyes widened in amasement at Kylar's proposition. What made it even worse was they'd not even known him that long, and now he was on about travelling to other realms. She managed to suppress the urge to argue by remembering how she asked Titus to accompany her into the Soul Cairn. Suddenly, Kylar's proposition didn't seem nearly as insane.

Titus cleared his throat, subtly hinting had an idea. Surely some crazy idea involving dragons, magic and all sorts of other stuff but it was still an idea that needed to be heard. "Sovngarde is part of Aetherius."

"What about it?" Kylar enquired.

"I've been to Sovngarde," Titus answered. "But I don't think Nocturnal would be held there; for whatever reason she is being held for." Titus began explaining his scheme with hand gestures. "There must be some other ways to enter Aetherius."

"But how would we actually find out?" Serana added.

"I must have some old dusty textbook somewhere around the house," Titus predicted. "That's our next step."

* * *

"It's good to see you again Thane," Lydia greeted. "How was the honeymoon?"

"Great," Titus replied. He slumped his sword and shield down in their usual spot by the alchemy table and sat in his chair around the central table. "Can you whip something up for three please Lydia?"

"Two actually," Serana corrected. "I'm going to go have a rest for a while." Serana trudged off into the bedroom, closing the door shut behind her. Lydia walked into the kitchen to begin cooking something up for the two men.

Kylar took the chair opposite Titus and placed himself on it. He rested both his elbows on the green table cloth, using both his hands to support his head. "Nice house you got here," Kylar commented. "Must have cost an arm and a bloody leg."

"Well I do have money," Titus said, mirroring the position Kylar was currently in. "I am the Dragonborn after all."

"Wait," Kylar said in astonishment. "You can't be."

"I can prove it, but maybe later." The fact Kylar didn't recognise Titus as Dragonborn just deepened the already deep mystery currently in play. Nearly everyone knew Titus was Dragonborn, especially the citizens of Skyrim. It was like Kylar was living in his own little existence, cut off from the happenings of the world.

Kylar shook his head and moved off the topic, not wanting to complicate the already delicate situation. "So," Kylar began, "what about children?"

Titus awkwardly fidgeted in his seat and sighed heavily. It was quite the private topic. Serana was clearly uneasy about having children; at least at the moment. Which made Titus uneasy about discussing it with Kylar. But he went along with it anyway.

"Sure, one day I want to be a father." Titus chuckled slightly, "I guess my current lifestyle doesn't permit at the moment though."

"Same with me really," Kylar joked. "What about Serana?"

Titus tightened his lips slightly. He really didn't want to explain Serana's reasoning, so he simply replied, "It's complicated."

"Okay then," Kylar finished.

Lydia walked in with freshly cooked rabbit legs and placed the before the two ravenous men and their hungry mouths. "Enjoy."

Titus and Kylar took the rabbit legs in hand and started ripping of chunks in sync. Finely cooked, incredibly tasty and a god send for their stomachs. Just what they needed.

"What about you?" Titus asked. "Would you ever consider having kids?"

"Yeah, I'd like to be one," Kylar groaned depressingly before carrying on, "but duty calls. If ever I'm needed to do what I must, I must be there. My life doesn't permit either, just like you."

The two men continued gorging on their food, conversing with each other constantly. Slowly, they were beginning to feel a friendly bond with each other. It seemed strange after everything that had happened, considering Kylar had dragged them on some massive journey that just created even more questions, but friendship could blossom from the most unusual situations.

Titus finished his rabbit leg before wearily shuffling into his bedroom, as did Kylar, who took a spare bed upstairs. Pushing the door shut behind him, Titus looked towards the bed, where Serana slept lightly above the covers. How you could be beautiful by simply sleeping was a mystery to Titus. He was a man. But Serana seemed to pull it off perfectly.

Titus moved over to his side of the bed, maneuvering himself gently onto the bed. After a small amount of seconds, Serana rolled over so her arm was strewn over Titus's chest.

"What were you talking about?" Serana mumbled.

"Stuff," Titus said. "What you been doing?"

"Sleeping." Serana moved her arms around Titus, pulling him into her soft embrace. "Although it's better now you're here."

"I'm sure Kylar won't disturb us," Titus hinted.

"What about finding how to get to Aetherius?"

"It can wait."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Hope you enjoyed dat (it was only filler really). I'm not really sure how many chapters are left of this arc, but I know that An Adventure to Falskaar will be next. I can assure that.

So if you enjoyed (and if you're a loyal member of the Fez Army) please leave a little review... you'll now get two fezzes for the price of one (which is completely free anyway). Well now I'm off to play some Black Ops Zombies (if you're reading just as I've posted) so I'll see you soon : )


	38. Power of Two Chapter 7

Titus's vision slowly returned as he awoke from his slumber. Serana lay beside him, one arm across his lower abdomen and her head pressed on his chest. The feeling of her skin was... different. Her skin wasn't like ice anymore, more like a warm summer day. She was making it increasingly difficult to get up. Not because she was forcing him down, but because she was persuading him with just her body.

Using his willpower, he got out of bed, trying his best not to wake his wife currently still sleeping. He crept out of the bedroom and into the main hall. The rest of the house was still asleep due to the morning still being a couple of hours away. He continued down into the stuffy cellar, making his way to the collection of old books and tomes he kept. They weren't in the best condition, but to be honest, he never really thought he'd use them, and had only decided to keep them as little souvenirs. The books were piled up in a rather unorganised fashion. Which made the job a whole lot more tedious.

After a few minutes, Titus managed to find a book simply titled: Aetherius. He wiped away the dust coating the leather cover; the dust glided away aimlessly in the air. He thumbed the first page open and took a quick glance at the contents. There seemed to be nothing of importance. Just some ramblings about the origins of Aetherius.

The next page offered the same, just useless facts that didn't help in any way. If anything, they just hindered Titus's search by mind boggling his brain with information most people wouldn't even be able to comprehend.

The next page however, appeared incredibly useful. Firstly, the heading at the top of the page said: Entry to Aetherius. Below it was some sort of diagram. There was a circle scribbled onto the paper; it was slightly wonky, looking like it had been drawn quickly and by freehand. An arrow was thrust into it, signalling some sort of transportation or the motion of something. He traced the arrow down to its base, where a small, ritualistic looking ring of objects that had been drawn and labelled. Unfortunately though, the labels of the items had been smudged, making them incomprehensible.

But, with one opposite stroke of fortune, the paragraph of writing below the diagram was intact. Titus read the text to himself in his head:

By completing the ritual with the items specified above, I believe you can catapult yourself through magically through the sun and into Aetherius. This is only my theory, but I am planning to test it soon. WARNING: Not currently tested. There have been a multitude of setbacks.

"Well that's just brilliant," Titus sarcastically said to himself. His frustration was distracted by the welcome feeling of two arms lovingly wrapping around his abdomen.

"What's so brilliant?" Serana joked. She started swaying side to side, bringing Titus along with her.

Titus twisted his body so he faced Serana and held the book in the air. "I think I've found our way into Aetherius."

"There's bad news isn't there?"

Titus lowered his head, focusing his attention on the book as he flicked through the pages, looking for the relevant information. "The problem is it involves catapulting ourselves into the sun using some sort of ritual that we don't even know the ingredients for."

Serana politely took the book from Titus and set her eyes on it for herself. Her face contorted in horror.

"I guess it doesn't sound like plan A."

Serana thrust her arm out as she slammed the book down onto the cobbled stone floor. Her muscles flexed in anger. The colour of her face quickly went from the usual white to an apple red.

"It isn't plan A then."

"You think!?" Serana exclaimed.

"I can explain."

"No you can't Titus." Serana paced up and down, flailing her arms in obvious protest, putting Titus sightly on edge. "We've done a lot for this Kylar person. We've escorted him, helped him, gave him a place to stay, but catapulting ourselves into the sun for someone we've only known for a very short time, that's crossing the line. No you know what, that's literally leaping over the line and then sprinting as far as you can from the line. It's ludicrous."

Titus didn't speak a word. Serana had annihilated him with words, and any comeback he would come up with, he was sure Serana would just blast words at him again.

Serana continued her rant, "Why do you always decide to help complete strangers for no reason other than the fact they've done nothing wrong. I swear you'd jump in front of an avalanche for Kylar if you got the opportunity!"

Titus sighed before letting his arms go limp by his side. He looked Serana directly into the eye, attempting to appeal to the sympathetic side in her. "You don't like him do you?"

Serana threw her arms up in the air, emphasising her point. The red in her face brightened, the rage clear. "He's sent us around like headless chickens, he's wasted our time, he hit on me. I will not, repeat not-"

"Not."

Titus received a menacing glare for his comment. Moving closer, he pulled Serana into his calming embrace, moving one arm behind her back and the other behind her head. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

Serana softly nuzzled Titus's neck and murmured, "So why is it you want to help everyone?"

"I'll explain later," Titus replied.

* * *

Titus and Serana had left the cellar to decipher the book upstairs. They sat facing each other at the main table, with the book opened on the relevant page. In around another hour, everybody would be up for the day, giving them some time to work out the smudged info and share some personal time together.

Serana placed her finger under one of the smudged ingredients. Only three letters were left readable: D on the first word and T and o on the second word.

"That could be Dragon's Tongue," Serana suggested. She span the book around so Titus could see what she meant.

Titus looked down, nodding his head in agreement. "That sounds right."

"So we've got to get one Dragon's Tongue flower, a diamond and a hawk feather," Serana said. She took the book back and filled in the smudged words to keep a record.

"I should have some of those somewhere," Titus announced.

Serana rested her hands on Titus's. She pushed herself forward and planted a kiss on his forehead. "So will you answer my question now?"

Titus leaned back in his chair, getting comfy to begin explaining. He absently licked his lips for a few seconds, still a bit anxious to let his reasoning out, but he trusted Serana more than he thought humanly possible, which helped to reassure him. "During my early days as Dragonborn, I'd help people because it was my duty. It made me feel good after doing a good deed for someone. That's still half of my reasoning today... but after what happened in Kvatch," Titus hesitated for a moment before Serana reassured him with a caring smile, "after what happened with Quintus, I decided to do good things in his name. Honour the Quintus I knew. The Quintus who was kind, helpful, fun loving, caring. Try to eradicate the evil Quintus, at least in my mind."

Serana was silenced by awe at the deep explanation Titus had come out with. She knew Quintus meant a lot to him, how his death weighed heavily his conscience. But to fight in his name, for the Quintus he knew. It said a lot.

Titus looked over Serana's shoulder to focus on Kylar, who stood there fully geared up, like he'd guessed they'd found their plan to reach Aetherius.

"Good news Kylar," Titus said, raising out of his chair, "we're going to Aetherius."

* * *

Titus, Serana and Kylar stood in a horizontal line with the three ingredients in a circle around them in the dirt outside. The sun stared down upon them, edging them on. It was their motivation.

Titus turned his head towards Serana. He took her hand in his. He looked in the opposite direction towards Kylar. He seemed determined, ready to get the job done.

No matter the cost.

Titus met the sun's gaze, taking a deep breath to ready himself. "Let's hope this works."

* * *

Personal Comments:

Aetherius time next. Hooray. This will probably end up being the longest arc so far as well. It wasn't going to be like that at first, but we combined two ideas. I hope you enjoyed that Fez Army. Next chapter should be out soon. I'll try and get it out before the weekend. Please leave a review (because you're all feztastic) and I'll see you soon : )


	39. Power of Two Chapter 8

A mesmerising flash of crystal blue colours greeted Titus as he opened his eyes. He was sprawled out on some sort of crystal like rock matching the hues of the supernatural sky. His attempt at correcting his vision failed; what he was seeing was real.

He jumped to his feet, staying vigilant in case of any unexpected surprises. The ground below him slightly sloped, but still easy to stand on. All around him were mighty crystal mountains that seemed to stretch on endlessly. The sky blended with them, even though there was a slight difference in tone. Frantically searching the zone around him with his eyes, Titus found that neither Serana or Kylar were nearby. They'd vanished.

"I never thought I'd expect to see you here." Titus span around to respond to the voice. The same ethereal monk he'd encountered back in Kvatch levitated in front of him, his hands down by his sides. It was Akatosh.

"I-is this," Titus stuttered, still in awe by the fact he was conversing to Akatosh himself, "Aetherius?"

"Yes," Akatosh replied. He hovered over to the edge of the rock they were on, going as far as he could before moving across the abyss below. "Beautiful isn't it?"

Titus moved over next to Akatosh, observing the mystical painting like scene. "What the hell is going on?"

"You mean with Kylar?"

"Yeah."

Akatosh floated around to face Titus and answer his question, "After what happened with Odulv's plot and how you stopped it, Stendarr vowed for revenge. On a more reasonable scale but still pretty severe. His idea was to imprison each Daedric Prince one by one here in Aetherius. That way the Daedra would have no influence over Nirn but the world would still be able to exist."

"That still doesn't answer the whole Kylar question."

"Well, as you know, Nocturnal is already imprisoned here. She knew this, so she sent one of her best Nightingales, Kylar, to help. But Kylar isn't from your realm. He is from an alternate existence. Nocturnal sent him through to another. I pinpointed him to your realm. That is why he says he's killed Ulfric; that's why he says he knows all those people you took him to. Because he does know them, just in another reality."

Titus's response was utter silence, caused by the disbelief and impossibility of what Akatosh had told him. Akatosh had to be messing with him. Either that or this was one of his crazy dreams. This cross-dimensional shit seemed like madness.

"Why me?" Titus asked. "Why did you choose to send him to my realm."

"I believe in you Titus," Akatosh announced. "You have no idea how many Dragonborns I've seen flop and die in their realms. You, Titus, are one of the most powerful men in known time. I believe in you."

"So I guess I need to do something?" Titus unsheathed his sword and thrust it into the rock as his sign of determination and of slight annoyance.

Akatosh ordered, "Nocturnal is being held here in a specially made prison. There are three shackles binding her here to Aetherius. Each is protected by a guardian. Your shackle is guarded by Garasoth." A strange green crystal lightly dropped into Titus's hands. It seemed to radiate confidence. "That's why Serana and Kylar aren't here. They're tackling the other shackles. Now go. And good look."

Akatosh, just like the area around Titus, faded to black. It was replaced by a hexagonal room made of the same crystals found everywhere else. Six pillars supported the roof. Garasoth stood in between them, staring Titus down, reaching right into the deepest parts of his soul. It was serpentine in design, with charcoal grey scales covering it all over. It had no legs, but instead had nine heads, each one made of raging fire. Its eyes glowed a disturbing green colour, with the sole purpose of terrifying its enemy.

Titus clipped the green stone onto his belt and took his sword firmly in hand. He raised his shield to protect his body and the lower half of his face, and positioned his sword straight forward, pointing straight towards Garasoth, preparing to jab the creature.

Garasoth lowered its heads. It slithered at great speed towards Titus, accelerating at an alarming rate. The force at which it thrust its three middle heads at Titus's shield caused him to stagger back slightly. Using its six spare heads, Garasoth began to bite at Titus's sides in an attempt to overwhelm him. Titus managed to block or dodge most of the incoming attacks, but the odd one would hit, causing an immense burning pain. Titus found an opening, and sliced one of the fiery heads on the outer left neck clean off.

The decapitated head grew back in a fiery ritual.

"Great, just great," Titus thought. He smashed his shield down onto another head with little effect. Garasoth brought one of its heads down low and dug its fangs into an exposed part of Titus's leg. The same burning sensation ran along the back of his leg and into his waist. He keeled due to the immense discomfort, using his sword to keep him on his feet.

Garasoth reared up, bringing the infernos on the top of its necks up high as they gazed upon Titus. He lunged.

"FUS RO DAH!"

Garasoth was blasted across the room, his nine heads flailing madly, some of them knotting together in awkward positions. Titus, fighting the pain still pestering him, forced himself upright to prepare for the next attack from the serpent. Garasoth was beginning to compose itself once again, slowly untying its necks.

"MUL QAH DIIV!" Ethereal armour surrounded Titus. This was his little pick-me-up; it would win him this fight. Garasoth began its charge. Titus raised his shield, anticipating the attack that would surely come. As he felt the force on his shield, Titus shifted his weight onto his front foot and bashed his shield into Garasoth, the strength gained from his shout causing Garasoth to recoil largely. Titus moved his shield back down to his side, allowing him to slash his sword through the base of three of Garasoth's necks. They were cut clean off and disintegrated into grey ash.

Garasoth began to panic as he randomly writhing in front of Titus. This gave Titus the chance to spear two of Garasoth's heads together with his sword. He twisted it a good way, making the creature shriek in agony. He left the sword in there to add to the pain. He moved on to the next two necks, and using his bare hands, he crushed them. The sound of scales crunching was satisfying. Very satisfying.

Garasoth, despite still having two heads left, dropped to the ground. The destruction of seven of its heads was too much. Its body, just like the three necks Titus had chopped off, turned to ash.

The green gem strapped onto Titus's belt began to vibrate wildly. He picked his sword out of the ash before detaching it. It raced from his belt and up into the ceiling. The six pillars converted to the same rich green colour of the crystal. The entire room began vibrating violently before calming.

A voice spoke out; it was clearly Kylar's: "Nocturnal is free and I can return home. Thank you."

* * *

Titus found he was back on Nirn, with his armoured body placed nicely on the dirt outside. The sun was directly above him. The rays shone down upon him. This was a victory. He basked in their relaxing warmth, just before they were blocked out by the figure of a woman standing over him.

"We did it," Serana said. She offered Titus her hand to pull him up. He accepted it, getting himself out off the ground.

"That was... strange," Titus commented.

"True, but Nocturnal is free and Kylar is back home. That's all that matters." Serana took Titus's hand and walked him to the front door. "So what was your monster like?"

* * *

Personal Comments:

Firstly, sorry for the longer than usual wait. I've had life to deal with at the moment. That's the end of Power of Two. Now onto the Falskaar arc. That and beyond. I may get a chapter out this weekend, but... if any of you have read my profile or taken the hinters from past chapters you'll know I'm a football fan (I'm not going to put soccer in brackets anymore. Football is footbal). And there's a certain game that's has come out today. Yep, Fifa 14. I have been playing the early access but there's still so much to do: Ultimate Team, Career (come on you mighty red men), Dortmund co-op seasons. You name it (you don't have to). There might also be a slightly longer break during chapters during the next arc because I will need to watch Youtube walkthroughs. I'm currently on Xbox, but I'm moving to PC at the end of the year. Guess I'm ruining the plot for myself, but whatever. It's for you guys. Leave a little reviews please and I'll see you soon.

Characters:

Garasoth: One of the three guardians. I based him of the Hydra.

Dragon Language Glossary:

FUS RO DAH: Really, I mean really, you **REALLY** should know this.

MUL QAH DIIV: Strength Armour Wyrm (Dragon Aspect Shout)


	40. An Adventure to Falskaar Chapter 1

Titus traipsed calmly along the cobbled path, with Serana by his side and Apollo weaving around their legs. The warming colours of the Rift surrounded them, combined with the setting sun, created the perfect sense of tranquillity. A light breeze rolled by; it was cooling to the skin and left whoever it graced feeling relaxed.

Serana leaned against Titus, resting her head on his armoured shoulder pauldron. "Why do you always seem to wear your armour?" Serana complained. "Even on romantic walks."

"I guess you never know when somebody is going to jump out and plunge a dagger in your abdomen when you're the Dragonborn," Titus joked. Despite the tone of his voice, he knew what he'd just said was very true indeed. Everything that had happened to him over the last couple of years was proof enough.

They continued their leisurely stroll through the forest, taking in the scenery and being by each other's side. Apollo settled down, and began plodding along in between them.

"So," Serana said, "what about the future?" She introduced the topic with a slight hint of enthusiasm, however, at the same time she knew being enthusiastic and hoping for a peaceful life was pretty much out of the question.

"Well, I'd hope we'd be able to just enjoy life, sit back and relax. But..."

Serana read Titus's next few words like his mind was a passage she knew perfectly. "That's not going to happen."

"Yep," Titus replied. "Unfortunately."

Serana guided him over to the side of the road, where they sat together, legs stretched out like they had no worries. Apollo came and curled up by their feet, acting as a living fur cover.

"This whole thing still seems too surreal," Serana commented as she looked towards the orange sky above them.

Titus craned his neck sideways to focus on her. "Why?"

"You know, when all the shit with my family was going on, I never imagined I'd be free, living the dream," Serana met Titus's gaze, "have a husband like you."

Titus pulled an over the top sloppy face, triggering a slight reaction from Serana, who playful gave him a slap across the cheek. Titus pressed his hand where he'd been gently slapped; his skin was warm to the touch. "Same," Titus began. "I always thought I'd end up carrying on from my father. You know, learn everything he knew, inherit the house, get married, have a son, teach him what I knew. I never wanted to. I always wanted to go out and see the world. And I did, just in a way nobody could have anticipated."

Serana moved back, resting her head on the dry grass, prompting Titus to do the same. Apollo imitated them, spreading himself vertically like a stick between them. The whole world seemed to be silent. Nothing seemed to stir around them - apart from the odd leaf - as they enjoyed the peace.

"So where are we going next?" Serana asked. The whole reason they were so far from home was because Titus had decided to visit each city in Skyrim for - what he called - 'Dragonborn' business. For Serana however, it was just an excuse to travel around and spend more time together.

"We'll stop off in Riften for the night and then set off for Windhelm in the morning." Titus stood back up, brushing some loose blades of grass off him. "I want to know how Brunwulf is."

Serana stood back up as well. "Good. I'm tired." She yawned deeply before calling, "Come on Apollo."

* * *

The sun had set, ushering the darkness of the night. Only a few stars shone in the sky, but more would appear soon. The city of Riften had just started to die down in activity as Titus, Serana and Apollo walked through the front gates.

"Fine! If you won't listen to me, I'll find someone who will." The voice had a strange accent to it, and came from an old man talking to one of the guards. He was dressed in a somewhat dirty, green a white tunic with brown boots coming up to just under his knee caps. He turned away from the guard as he walked away.

"Excuse me," Titus said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder to gain his attention.

"Oh great," Serana thought. "More helping random strangers." She reluctantly followed, standing diagonally behind Titus. Apollo came and sat contently by his mistress's legs.

"Yes?" the man stated, spinning around to meet Titus.

Titus brought his arm to his side and questioned the man, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, well not really," the man answered. He began rubbing his hands together, feeling slightly awkward after being approached randomly by a stranger.

"What's wrong?" Serana added in. She figured she may as well be friendly to this stranger. He seemed to be in some sort of an issue, and anyway, nothing positive ever came from being malicious towards somebody.

"Well, I was taking an evening walk like I always do, and I saw some men outside the Echo Deep Mine," the man informed. "The thing is, they looked like mercenaries, up to no good."

"What makes you say that?" Titus continued, trying to dig further into the problem.

The man announced, "I've never seen them around here, and they look real tough. In addition, the Echo Deep Mines are not a place people go. There are myths about it."

"What kind of myths?" Titus said, as he pondered in his mind whether this man was serious or not.

"All sorts of stories," the man expanded. "Some say it's haunted by ghosts. Some say a wealthy bandit lord hides out in it, quietly contributing to the crime in Riften." The man's voice went higher as he said the next part, "Some people even say that deep within the mines, there are Dwemer ruins, full of all sorts of automatons, just waiting to slay whoever enters."

Serana huffed, "So what's the problem?"

The man gulped as he bit his lower lip. "On my way back from my walk, I passed the mine entrance again. I heard all sorts of horrific noises. I reckon something happened to those men. Anyone going to those mines is up to no good. I've asked the guard to take a look," the man stared for a few seconds at ht eguard he'd just been in conversation with, "but they just ignore me. I need someone to see what's happened. Would... would you go look for me? Please, if they are planning something, the city guard needs to know. Please, go check for me."

"Sure," Titus said, "I'll take a look."

Serana's hopes sank as those few words escaped Titus's lips. They were off to go help another stranger. Again.

"Finally, thank you! I'll mark it on your map." Titus unfolded his map and held in front of the man. He jabbed repeatedly and with a sense of urgency at the map. "There. Just be careful. We still don't know what's in there. Name's Jalamar by the way."

"We'll go look in the morning," Titus stated, neatly folding his map back up.

* * *

Titus and Serana stood, with Apollo close by, before the wooden doors leading to Echo Deep Mine. It was carved perfectly into the rock side, with a overhang shadowing it from the sun.

They were ready. With a good nights sleep under their belts, they were fully prepared to face whatever lurked in these mines.

Titus approached the entrance, and moved one of the doors aside. They began their descent into Echo Deep Mine.

* * *

The Dwarven Centurion deactivated body crashed to the ground as Titus finished it with a clean swipe to its torso. Apollo darted out of the way of the tumbling juggernaut, just in time to save himself from being crushed.

Titus and Serana observed the room they were in. The room was a box shape, with a small ramp ascending to a elevated area that was blocked off by a row of spikes. Behind that was an archway that was blocked off by a wall. There were two Centurion docking stations, one which they active Centurion had come from, and another surrounded by debris. Around five mercenaries were dead, bloodied and bruised on the floor. Directly in front of the ramp was something Titus recognised. A pedestal, designed for lexicons.

Serana crouched down by the armoured warrior, probably the leader, and found a small Dwemer cube that had been splattered with blood from the previous battle.

"I guess this is important," Serana said, holding the lexicon up so Titus could see it.

Titus moved towards her, and kindly took the cube from her grasp. "A lexicon." Titus placed the cube on the pedestal. The lexicon opened up, revealing a cyan core. After a couple of seconds, a mechanical roar erupted as the spikes retracted into the ground and a wall of turquoise filled the archway.

Titus warily walked towards it, making sure he didn't accidentally set off any traps the Dwemer were notorious for.

"Are you crazy," Serana exclaimed.

"Yes," Titus replied. He stepped into the mystical portal and vanished.

"For god's sake." Serana and Apollo rushed through the portal with no hesitation. They didn't know where it would take them. They didn't know what was there.

It was an adventure.

* * *

Personal Comments:

Well, Falskaar awaits (don't tell Titus that though. It'd just ruin the surprise). I think week will probably be the wait between chapters during this arc, because I'm trying to stay true to the dialogue and stuff like that (I may deviate at some times though).

Also, I take my fez off to Alexander J. Velicky for creating such a large and expansive mod. He did it largely by himself and if I'm not mistaken, it took him around 2000 hours to complete. That's dedication. He actually made it to try and get a job in the video game industry, and if this doesn't say something to game developers, I don't know what will.

On another note, it's chapter 40. Woohoo *cheap confetti falls everywhere*. And I got an A* on my English controlled assessment. Woohoo *even more cheap confetti falls everywhere*.

So, I hope you enjoyed, leave a review please and I'll see you soon : )

Characters:

Jalamar: Some old man with a strange voice (I'm not taking the piss out of the voice actor, but this guy sounds strange) who likes taking walks and complaining to guards about mines.


	41. An Adventure to Falskaar Chapter 2

"Mecaius are you in here?"

Titus regained his vision. He had emerged behind a set of slender metal bars, which on the other side was a near exact replica of the room he had previously been in, just without the clear signs of carnage. A few seconds later, Serana and Apollo came through the portal, before it vanished.

"What the-"

Titus was abruptly interrupted when he heard a voice addressed to him. "What in Oblivion? You there, did you just come through that portal?"

Titus and Serana both turned to acknowledge this person. Apollo mimicked this in a more aggressive manner, lowering himself, the fur on his back standing upright, along with baring his teeth in an snarl.

"But if you just came through that," the man continued as he walked cautiously up the ramp towards them, "then that would make you the travellers wouldn't it?"

"Travellers?" Titus asked. "What are the travellers?"

The man before them wore a typical guard's uniform apart from the helmet, along with makeshift boots and gauntlets made from animal hide. His skin was fair, contrasting with his nearly shoulder length brown hair. He gave Titus his answer, "They who arrive through the shimmering gate mark the start of the worst. It's uhh, just a story, of course. I'm going to assume your from Skyrim, and you somehow managed to get the portal working. My job would dictate that I arrest you right here and now." The man took a short pause to regain his breath. "However, I'm in the middle of something important right now. If you give me a hand with it, afterwards, you're free to go."

Serana said reluctantly, "What is it?"

"I'm searching for a Nord named Mecaius," the man informed. "He's the blacksmithing apprentice in the nearby town of Amber Creek. I assume that since he isn't here, he's in the nearby cave. I can also assume that that cave is full of bandits. I'll still have to report your arrival to my superiors, but if you assist me, I'll say you were cooperative and helpful."

"Okay then," Titus noted. "Can you get us out of here?"

The man turned away from them and began walking, to where Titus presumed, was the switch. "It's just down here. Name's Olvir by the way."

Olvir forced the switch forward, lowering the bars keeping them captive. "Let's get moving, I don't want to waste any more time."

Olvir raced off, followed by Titus, Serana and Apollo at a slightly slower pace.

"I swear I'm just a glorified errand boy these days," Titus whispered in Serana's ear.

"You are a glorified errand boy," Serana replied, wrapping one arm around Titus. "But, you're also my husband. So let's see if we can do whatever this Olvir wants and maybe we can go back home."

* * *

The last bandit fell to Titus's sword his he left a deep gash diagonally across the bandit's abdomen. Serana and Apollo regrouped with him as Olvir - as per usual - charged recklessly into the next opening or dark hole in his search for Mecaius.

"Mecaius!" Olvir called out.

Titus, Serana and Apollo tagged on behind, still adamant danger would pop out from anywhere they could imagine. Their thoughts were proven wrong when they entered a large section of the cave. Olvir stood in front of a steel cage. Inside the steel cage was, presumably, Mecaius.

"Thank the divines!" Mecaius sighed in absolute relief. "Get me out of here; the switch to open the cage is on the wall over there. I have important news for Agnar."

"What is it?" Olvir enquired as he opened the cage. "Are you alright?"

Mecaius replied, exiting the cage and savouring his freedom like a beggar with a pouch of septims, "The bandits, they're working for Yngvarr. I overheard them talking. They're searching for something. That's why they kidnapped me."

"What are they searching for? What could they possibly know?" Olvir moved to face Mecaius. Mecaius was of a smaller build than Olvir; he wore a tattered blacksmith's apron. His dark hair ran down to his shoulders.

"They wanted to know about some key. When they found out I didn't know anything, they were enraged." Mecaius's voice sounded like he was exhausted from the whole ordeal. It was an ordeal Titus knew all to well. "They were deciding what to do with me when you three showed up. Thank the divines for that."

"Jarl Agnar must know about this! Titus," Olvir turned to him, "can you tell him? Mecaius needs to get some rest and I have other things to attend to."

"I guess so," Titus answered. He had more errand boy business. _Just_ what he wanted.

"Amber Creek is to the southeast of here. I'll open the gate for you."

* * *

Olvir opened the gate. The mighty wooden doors creaked open.

"Welcome to Falskaar." Olvir left them, making his way down the cobbled path.

Falskaar seemed similar to Skyrim. The trees, the mountains... the temperature. They all had resemblance. Maybe this land wasn't so mysterious after all.

Titus and Serana started to move on, with Apollo trotting along nearby. Night was closing in fast, so the sooner they got to Amber Creek the better.

"Why is it always us?" Serana moaned. Her now usual annoyance towards Titus's endless endeavours was becoming more and more evident.

Titus gently stopped Serana in the middle of the road and looked down into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Serana said. "It's always us who have to go stop that or go fetch this. We hardly get any time together these days."

"You know what?" Titus began. "One day, we can just retire and go away and live the rest of our lives together doing whatever we want. I promise."

"You promise?"

Titus gave Serana a passionate kiss to reinforce his statement. "I promise"

"You'll have to wait a while to do that again," Serana playfully joked.

"I'm sure there's a inn in Amber Creek," Titus added.

Serana gave him a cheeky smirk before they continued along the path towards Amber Creek.

* * *

Personal Comments:

I'm back (dun dun DUNNNN). Okay, I would have updated last week, but I had plans and stuff. So yeah, to make up for that, I'll try and get another chapter out tomorrow (no promises though).

I'm also going to say thank you. To all of you. For being amazing. You make this whole experience awesome. You know you'd all have that fez personally air dropped in if I could. Well, I could probably sort the fezzes and sign the all, it's just getting the C-130 to deliver them in that's the problem. If anybody knows a supplier of military grade aircraft for a 99.9% discount, let me know : D

So apart from that, please leave a review and I'll see you in Amber Creek.

Characters:

Olvir: Some Nord guard who lives on Falskaar. He umm, umm does something, patrol, stalk people who come out of the portal, I-I don't know.

Mecaius: The blacksmithing apprentice in Amber Creek who sounds 110% (I'm using fractions today) like someone who wouldn't hurt a single fl... wait, that's cliche... bacteria, microbe, pathogen, something like that.


End file.
